BIRTHPLACE: South St. Paul, Minn.

BORN: March 9, 1964

TEAMS/ASSOCIATIONS:  Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, U.S. National Teams, U.S. Olympic Team

Arguably the greatest offensive defenseman in NHL history, Phil Housley is one of America's best ever. After scoring 65 points in just 22 games at South St. Paul High School, Phil Housley made the leap straight to the "show" at just 18 years of age. Selected as the sixth overall pick of the first round by the Buffalo Sabres at the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, Housley quickly made a name for himself at the professional level and went on to become one of the league's sturdiest blue-liners.

While Housley began his career with Buffalo, where he compiled 558 points in 608 games with the Sabres, he would go on to play for eight different teams in his 21-year NHL career. At the time of his retirement in 2003, he was ranked fourth in all-time goals scored by a defenseman with 338 and fifth in assists by a defenseman with 894. In addition, Housley ranks 16th among all-time assist leaders and second in that category among Americans. Furthermore, after 1,495 regularly season game splayed, the most by any American at that time, Housley ranked as the top scoring U.S.-born player with 1,232 points until Mike Modano broke the mark.

Housley has also left his mark as an amateur player as well, serving on seven U.S. National Teams (1982, 1986, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2003), as well as a member of the 2002 silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team at Salt Lake City. There, Housley recorded five points in six games and registered the game-winning goal in the semifinal round of the 3-2 victory over Russia.

Among his numerous honors, in 2000 Housley was presented with USA Hockey's Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international competition. In addition, the former NHL All-Star's jersey was also the first to be retired at South St. Paul High School.