The Playing Career of Phil Housley

[@rathbone4561]

Watching Housley pass it up to Selanne as a kid was pure Magic

[@damonwebb813]

He was a big part of selanne's rookie goal record

[@jonasgorea3823]

Leaf legend phil housley

[@jerrygreig9506]

Don't remind me

[@Kariakas]

Haha

[@chemicalimbalance7030]

Tml should retire his jersey

[@whoshotashleybabbitt4924]

"There was a pretty good goal scorer on the jets in 92-93" Well played, Shannon.

[@Losrandir]

Who might he ever mean? Evgeny Davydov? Darrin Shannon? Teppo Numminen? Tie Domi? Igor Ulanov? It's a mystery!

[@patch8376]

Clearly Mike Eagles.

[@christhornycroft3686]

Kind of hard to win a Norris when you’re competing against guys like Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque and Rod Langway in their prime. You don’t stand a chance. Al MacInnis and Iafrate feel Phil Housley’s pain. I remember Housley as a Jet and a Flame beating up on the Canucks.

[@test123mfa]

MacInnis won a Norris

[@Losrandir]

@@test123mfa Good job McInnis, but he could've won a couple if it wasn't for that super stiff competition, same goes for Housley I guess

[@Kariakas]

You don’t want to compete with a prime Bourque, you’ll lose.

[@robins5798]

Add to that Chelios, Leetch, Stevens, Blake etc. Lots of high profile defensemen from the era(s) Housley played in.

[@FischerFan]

Of the defensemen who played in the NHL during the 80s and early 90s; next to Paul Coffey, Phil Housley was probably the most dangerous when it came to possessing the puck and going on a rush down the ice.

[@stevestalock3200]

Was Phil a confident kid? Yes. Did all of us kids want to be Bobby Orr growing up in the 70s? Yes. Was Phil egotistical? Not in the slightest. Nice tribute. Thanks for this one.

[@blueshirtshockey93]

USA u knew chelios Leetch Housely were a given. Great player not bobby orr but no one is or ever will be 🇺🇸🏒

[@bdonaghu]

I appreciate the playing career of Phil Housley. We can just forget about the (head) coaching career of Phil Housley ;)

[@amadeussmith693]

Same thing can be said about Gretzky and some great coaches never had a meaningful NHL career as players...i fail to see how is it relevant

[@yoholmes273]

As a NJ fan.. we always say the very same thing about John MacLean.

[@Swoop187OG187]

Housley did play forward on occasion for the Hawks, mostly on the PP but it was sparingly.

[@yoholmes273]

1996 was a down year for my NJ Devils. Coming off their first Cup run the team was in flux and didnt even make the playoffs after winning The Cup the very year before. After losing former captain Bruce Driver to FA signing with the NY Rangers , Lou being Lou picked up Phil Housley in 96 to fill the void. Always loved Phil, one of the best American defenseman ever. Even though his run in Nj was short & uneventful it was a pure joy to be able to see him play while wearing my favorite sweater. Thanks for showcasing this legend of the game, brother. And oh yes, Tommy Albelin was an unsung tremendous talent. 3 finals w NJ and 2 Cups. Guy was a nonflashy lunch pale workhorse. Sweet nod to one of my favorite Swedes.

[@billybob777]

Thanks, great video. Housley had a great career overall. I remember him well as a Sabres fan. We traded him to get Hawerchuk which was a good move at the time for Buffalo, although I remember that we always seemed to be lacking a great powerplay D after he left. Bodger was okay on the powerplay but it always seemed like we were missing a great #1D after he left.

[@exeter1985]

Shannon's memory is wonderful... but I am 6 years older than he is. At least that's my excuse. Shannon uses the whiteboards but could probably do these videos from memory.

[@stevenbest6470]

A real gentleman and obviously an incredible player. So unfortunate that he did not win the Cup. Best wishes to this great gentleman. God Bless

[@jefflarson1652]

Wow, two Minnesota kids highlighted in 4 days. I didn't see Broten play until he reached the high school hockey tournament, but everyone knew Phil was going to do something special when watching him play at 9 or 10 years old.

[@niklaslundh8944]

Absolute legend and one if my favorites of all time! Sadly much forgotten and seldom herald today. Great job on this one Shannon, much appreciated 👍💪🤘

[@DARK24-7]

He was one of my 1st line starters on NHL '95.

[@tomchamberlain4329]

'95 was the most fun game in the entire series. Housley had a higher rating in '93 tho, he was an absolute weapon then

[@DARK24-7]

@@tomchamberlain4329 Ye m8-to this day i still have a working sega gen-and play NHL 95 seasons!

[@tomchamberlain4329]

@@DARK24-7 Wish I could get hold of the RAd2x Mega Drive cable so I could actually use my MD these days!

[@DARK24-7]

@@tomchamberlain4329 I feel you m8-NHL '95 is the last place i can still see my Nords play-lol.

[@sabertooth_shark8374]

This is a video that I am very happy to see. My dad went to the same school as Housley back when he was in highschool. My dad was friends with Phil's brother. He's always told me stories about when he first heard that Phil was offered a contract by Buffalo. Thanks for the video!

[@Zamppa86]

I remember Housley vividly from the Jets and how he assisted many of Teemu Selänne's goals! By the way, Housley was also part of that USA team that won the World Cup back in '96.

[@SuperGogetem]

Just look at that glorious Sabres jersey. Why Buffalo wanted to change that up in the '90s, I'll never know.

[@PrinceAnt722]

The Sabres were leaving the Aud for a new arena and the new owners were ready for something different.

[@neilflood6508]

Thanks for the video. Phil Housley was my favourite player when I started supporting the Sabres in the late 80's. Still disappointed he was traded, despite getting Dale Hawerchuk in return.

[@johnnewton3258]

Growing up I had so many Phil Housley cards. Learning his stats I never truly had an opportunity to appreciate him as a player. Thanks for making this 🤘

[@ToyMakerprops]

smooth skating phil was damn awesome and my fav d-men in the league

[@bnnnaanananannn]

I just love these career videos!! Keep them coming! Regards from Sweden :)

[@TheTojocat]

Such a smooth skater, he looked like he was just coasting out there and had an invisible force pushing him

[@josefclarke4958]

As a kid I was devastated when Calgary traded Al Macinnis for Phil. Now many years later & all grown up & especially after seeing his body of work over the years I never honestly gave the respect that the great player Phil was. Mostly because I was a bitter Flame fan lol. Thank you For another great video as always. 🤘🏻🇨🇦.

[@eirikrsland1399]

In the 1990-91 allstar game I remember there were in total two minor penalties the entire game and Housley got both of them. It was cool seeing him play so well for the Black Hawks very late in his career and the Hawks finally making the playoffs after many years not getting in. He was a great skater Even very late in his 30s.

[@Oilers1972]

I appreciate the historical vids. 👍❤️ You do a really good job.

[@SabresGuy87]

The thing I will always remember about Housley is the quote I always hear when he is brought up in Sabres groups: "Hit him with your purse!" Great player, softer than baby 💩

[@lancemilliken9078]

Phil Housley was a Bruins killer back in the day when he was with Buffalo

[@freedom_fighter4317]

1,232 points as a defenceman and they make Housley wait years and years for induction? 694 points gets Cam Neely though? The HOF is competing with the Biden Admin for ineptitude

[@urbanoutdoorsman5654]

@@freedom_fighter4317 Don't compare anything to do with the NHL to the bullshit political situation in the USA. We true hockey fans don't want to hear about it.

[@SverigeiSverige]

@@urbanoutdoorsman5654 I understand, the weakest and the worst president ever.

[@urbanoutdoorsman5654]

@@SverigeiSverige That's not what I said. This is a hockey forum. We don't want your partisan politics here. we don't want ANY politics here.

[@SverigeiSverige]

@@urbanoutdoorsman5654 We? Do you use King pronouns?

[@munchkinman7086]

These career videos are great! Not only points and stats, but Interesting to see what kind of trades these great players were part of.

[@damonwebb813]

It seemed like Selanne was getting a pass every game when he was in full speed This was still a few years before the red line was removed as a two line restriction. In other words your pass couldn't travel across your blue line and the redline.....imagine how many combined points they would have had....

[@FischerFan]

Contrary to what one often heard from Canucks fans around 1995; Selanne's goal production went down not because of the cheap shot by Mike Peca, but because of the absence of a guy named Housley. Housley spent pretty much that entire 1992-93 season hitting Selanne on the tape. Isn't it amusing how Canucks fans were shooting their big mouths off after Peca drilled Selanne; but not even a decade later, when Steve Moore nailed Markus Naslund? Hoo hoo HOO! That was like a federal offence! The Canucks went headhunting when it came to Moore. This is one reason why I, a Habs fan, have come to dislike Canucks fans as much as I do some Leafs fans and more so than Bruins fans.

[@LateCloser]

I don't have any memories of him playing forward as a Sabre. I'm not saying it didn't happen, I just don't remember it. He was given extreme freedom in how he played. It was all out offense, with him. Some nights the points were great, others he'd drive you crazy with the defensive lapses. Hard to evaluate, I guess.

[@carletonrutherford1799]

This video just showed up on my recommended videos 1 year after it was posted. Phil Housley was the original Quinn Hughes. Small defenceman with great offensive skills.

[@FischerFan]

Housley was one of those compact defensemen who was a forward in reality. I always thought his size and offensive prowess made him a something of blue line version of Denis Savard.

[@BHolmes721]

Hey Shannon, would love to see you do a career video on Brad Richards. Like him, I am also a fellow Islander, and a lot of people from PEI are pretty proud of what he was able to do in the NHL. Had a surprisingly decorated career and definitely has highs and lows. I followed since his first year where he was up for rookie of the year all the way until he won his second cup with the Blackhawks. Would love to hear you what you have to say about him, as he played for one of your favourite teams during a time he was playing at his prime.

[@hawk12983]

Arguably one of the best offensive defensemen of all time.

[@Canuck204]

Housley to Selanne was magic for the Jets

[@swedreamhack5308]

I remember I liked Housley when he was playing in Cgy. It's not strange he eventually got into HoF with 1200 pts as a D-man and it's probably right.

[@masseyhemenway4298]

Great player...2nd NHL'er to make the jump from High School straight to the NHL. The point I always make about Housley that seems to get lost in the shuffle....NO WAY Selanne hits 76 in 92/93 without Housley setting up half of them. Those guys together made a heck of a duo.

[@marcmosner4704]

He's the last person to go from US High school to the NHL, has not been done since.

[@Losrandir]

Not taking anything at all away from Phil Housley, but just quirky how it seems like just about everybody scored like crazy in that one mad season 92-93! I've noticed the trend before, but it's really starting to look almost universal when going over these career videos of THG.

[@dsc4178]

Leafs legend Phil Housley. Another trade that hurt the team badly. Leetch, Housley, Gilmour at the end of his career, Jumbo Joe, they haven't learned.

[@kieranperreaultdit-morin9262]

Would you ever consider doing a Gordie Howe video? You’ve done a lot of the other top greats lol

[@jeffreyg4626]

I'd love to see a Howe video done by THG!

[@exeter1985]

Also the first video that the Cats slept through

[@przemekdziegielewski417]

I hope to see Dave Andreychuk's career video.

[@Psalm1101]

Good player i think i played against dan daost and phil in the halton mens league later in 2000 but never forgot dans smarts were to be as a player and his grit

[@Tbiblaine23]

Preds legend Phil Housley

[@bobo0202]

He played forward for the Flames as well

[@exeter1985]

Looking at his career it stands out how rare it is for players to play all 82 games in a season.

[@Zamppa86]

Yeah. And looking back at that 92-93 season when he played 80 games and scored 97 points if he had played all possible games, which was 84 during that season, he might have even topped 100 points which is a rarity for defensemen. He was playing with Selänne(and Zhamnov and Tkatchuk) during that season so I assume he would have been able to get 3 assists during those 4 games if he had been able to play those.

[@Losrandir]

Sometimes I confuse some bit of Phil Housley with Brian Leetch, there's too many similarities!

[@Sexton_blake93]

A career of Ed Belfour video would be really cool

[@magmagators5637]

We didn't get annihilated

[@gocanuckurself1]

Can I request a Trevor Kidd career video? I was a big fan of his as a kid.

[@daftpunked4800]

Got picked up by Housley's niece hitchhiking a couple years back!

[@damonwebb813]

I think Housley had a broken finger just before the Washington run in the playoffs...probably affected his totals Although the finals were against All Stars Detroit Redwings (loaded)

[@jannepyykko6325]

Teemu Selänne could not make record Without Phil!That is a true!

[@amazinmets8439]

Housley was a terrific player, but the 80s and 90s were STACKED with great Defensemen. Bourque, Leetch, Chelios, MacInnis etc. It wasn't fair to Phil. Almost impossible to win a Norris back then.

[@TheTojocat]

Teemu doesnt get 76 goals without Housley on the team that year, no joke!

[@JFreitas0937]

Career of Brian Rafalski?

[@MrVictoria69]

Nobody was weaker in front of the net. Churla and McRae used to manhandle him.

[@owenbuhler6408]

I think if he was Canadian he gets in the hall a lot quicker, we need to to recognize non-Canadian players have a much harder time getting into the hall

[@elsqueaker4420]

Leafs legend

[@dpcrawford83]

I think the Blues had more Hall of Famers have a cup of coffee with them then any other team.

[@Swoop187OG187]

I've never understood why defensemen that were effective as forwards, just didn't stick with playing forward. I mean if you're more effective as a forward than you are as a defenseman then it makes sense just to stick with forward.. Another guy that was really effective as a forward - at least on the power play - was Dustin Byfuglien, I mean put him in front of the net and you're not moving him but he was only sparingly used on the PP as a forward, at least when he was on the Hawks and it just made no sense.. He had the speed, size and talent of a power forward and he could play power forward but he was rarely used. Look, if you have a dynamic player that can play both forward and defense then why not take advantage of it?? I mean Byfuglien was a pretty unique player given his size, speed and skating ability and I was baffled why he wasn't used more creatively.. One of the rare times I can recall a defenseman really being used and converted to a permanent forward is Wendell Clark, and that's an odd one because he was drafted 1st overall as a defenseman, but then was quickly converted into a forward.. Of course you have guys like Paul Coffey, Brent Burns etc that also played forward on occasion... So yea, if a defenseman is effective as a forward, why just not keep them there - especially if they're unique like Dustin Byfuglien?

[@The_Omegaman]

Coaches dream of 4 “forwards” on the ice at once. Even if it does t really help.

[@exeter1985]

Well said, imagine having a few players on the roster that have the ability to play both. It seems like that would save having to make so many roster moves.

[@daledemanchuk7920]

good career....

[@peterolbrisch8970]

Funny how Hiusley couldn't find a home. 😂

[@klompsauce]

Oh!

[@J_Aaron_L]

He would have gotten paid big time today since GMs are throwing money at D men... even those who don't deserve it... like Sanheim.

[@TheBorderGeek]

So was he a journeyman defenseman? 🤔

[@peterolbrisch8970]

Oops.

[@brucemckinlay9739]

Not sure how you figure the Jets won the Housley Hawerchuk trade because the Jets got Tkachuk with the first. The Sabres got the higher pick. Who was selected/how the pick turned out shouldn't matter.

[@FischerFan]

Housley and Tkachuk ended up becoming the biggest whiners in Winnipeg when it came to contracts. Then when Housley was traded by St. Louis to Calgary, he made a big stink about having to pay Canadian taxes.