Phil Housley

One of the best offensive defensemen in the high scoring 1980s, Phil Housley played 1,495 regular-season games played, which set the standards for all American born players. Housley also retired as the highest scoring US born player with 1,232 points (338 goals and 894 assists).

Housley began his NHL career with Buffalo in 1982. The 6th overall draft pick from 1982 skipped college and went straight from high school to the NHL without missing a beat. In his rookie season he scored 19 goals and 66 points by as a defenseman. There was no sophomore jinx for Housley, as he improved to an incredible 31 goals and 77 points in season two. He did spend some time playing left wing however.

Scoring was never a problem for Housley. He was a superior skater, blessed with speed and agility, and a powerplay specialist. He was equally adept at rushing the puck or making the perfect first pass out of the zone. His small stature gave him trouble on one-on-one battles in the defensive zone, and he struggled early in his career with his defensive game, but there were very few defensemen better at the transition game.

Housley was a mainstay in Buffalo until 1990 when he was part of the Dale Hawerchuk trade with Winnipeg. Housley's offense only improved in Winnipeg. In his third year he and a rookie named Teemu Selanne formed a special chemistry. Selanne smashed NHL records with 76 goals as a rookie, and many of those goals were on assists from Housley. Housley had a career high 79 assists and 97 points that season.

Selanne would never again come close to the 76 goal mark. Part of that reason was because of the break up as Housley was traded to St. Louis in 1993-94. It should be noted that Housley held out and demanded the trade. The story at the time suggested Housley was not happy paying high taxes in Canada and wanted to return to his native United States. How accurate that story is is debatable, but Housley burned a lot of bridges in Canada with the hold out.

Housley never challenged the point totals he had achieved in Winnipeg or Buffalo. His stay in St. Louis was short, as he moved to Calgary then New Jersey. In 2000 he rejoined Calgary and enjoyed a bit of a renaissance. He finished his career with two seasons in Chicago and one game in Toronto.

Throughout his career Housley endeared himself to the international game as well. In 1982, Housley played in the world junior championships. Seven times he would skate for Team USA at world championships. He played in the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups. He was a member of the victorious 1996 World Cup of Hockey team and the silver medal winning Team USA at the 2002 Olympic games. He is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame.

So the question out there is this: Is Phil Housley's career worthy of inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

I've really struggled with this. I've always been on the no side, and so far the Hall obviously has been too. Though he has been eligible for some time now, he's never really gotten serious discussion time. Now as the logjam of superstars is beginning to clear, Housley's name may get more consideration.

Over time his totals still really impress, and his offensive approach to the game is rare and missed. He made other players better, particularly the likes of Dave Andreychuk and Teemu Selanne. But the same passage of time has allowed many to forget the flaws in his game. He was not great - or at times in his career not even good - defensively. Early in his career he was a complete adventure in his own zone. He settled down over the years, but was always susceptible to lapses. Remember that 97 point season in '92/93? He was minus 14 on a good team. And he provided next to no physical game at all.

Housley never came close to winning a NHL award. The closest was in '92/93 when he led all defensemen in scoring, but he finished 4th in Norris Trophy balloting. He never came close to any trophy nomination other than that.

And of course he never won a Stanley Cup. A lot of people think that is a must for inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame, though I do not agree with that. But Housley's playoff record was underwhelming at best.

The best modern day comparable player, in my opinion, is Brian Campbell. Campbell, too, is a wonderful skater and an offensive blueliner, albeit in a more defensive era. He, too, is soft in his own end, and despite some strong seasons has never been considered a Norris Trophy level defenseman. Campbell isn't exactly known for his defensive zone play either, but he is reliable. More so than Housley.

Phil Housley was a fun and entertaining player. Offensively he was elite. Defensively he was often an adventure. As much as I'd like to see an offensive minded dynamo like Housley rewarded, I have to say the Hockey Hall of Fame currently has it right by leaving Housley out of the Hall. You wouldn't induct Brian Campbell, would you?

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Donald Audette

Donald Audette was tiny at 5'8" and 185lbs, but he always showed scrappy resilience and a strong determination to overcome critics and serious injuries. He proved to be a solid player who could score big goals.

Born in Laval, Quebec on September 23, 1969, Audette was small but fearless. He used his short, choppy skating to power in and out of traffic to use his knack for finding loose pucks and rebounds. His work ethic was second to none.

But too many people dismissed him because of his lack of size and his graceless skating. He was passed over completely in the 1988 draft, despite scoring 48 goals and 109 points. The following year he scored 76 goals and 161 points in 70 games and another 17 goals in 17 playoff games earning the Guy Lafleur trophy as playoff MVP. Yet he was almost completely overlooked again. The Buffalo Sabres finally took a chance on him in the 9th round, selecting him 183rd overall.

Audette was determined to make it to the NHL and tore up the AHL in his first pro season. He scored 42 goals and was named as AHL Rookie of the Year. More importantly, he was called up to Buffalo in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He would play in 2 games.

Audette was the talk of the NHL early in the 1990-91 season. The undersized rookie unexpectedly made the team right out of training camp. He started the season on fire, scoring 4 goals and 7 points in 8 games. All seemed well for Audette. He had proved his detractors wrong. But on November 16th, 1990 his NHL career was placed in serious jeopardy. He tore the ligaments in his left knee and missed the rest of the regular season.

The hard luck kid worked hard to come back. Again he made the Sabres out of training camp. He went on to score an impressive 31 goals in just 63 games before another injury to the same knee ended his season yet again.

Missing the first twenty-two games of the following season, Don was slow to produce in his sophomore season, and many in the organization felt that the back to back knee injuries had taken their toll. He put up only 12 goals in 44 games.

Audette rebounded nicely in 1993-94, scoring 29 goals and adding 30 assists. He would score another 24 goals in only 46 games during the strike shortened 1995 season. By now everyone in the National Hockey League respected Audette as a spunky and dangerous scorer. He was at his best on the power play.

Knee injuries would derail him yet again. He would play in only 23 games in 1995-96 (scoring 12 goals) before having season ending surgery on his right knee. But yet again he bounced back in 1996-97 with 28 goals in 73 games. He followed that up with another healthy season in '97-98, scoring 24 goals in 75 games.

Audette had shown tremendous dedication and loyalty to Buffalo over the years, but a contract dispute saw him hold out for more money prior to the 1998-99 season. Just before Christmas he would be traded to Los Angeles. Audette would get the dollars with the Kings, but it must have been tough for him to watch his former teammates competing for the Stanley Cup just a few months later.

Audette put in a couple of years with the Kings before moving to the Atlanta Thrashers in 2000. He had his best year of his career in Atlanta, scoring 32 goals and 71 points in the 2000-01 season.

That was when his fairy-tale season came full circle. At the trading deadline in 2001 the Thrashers moved Audette back to Buffalo for another playoff push. It was a great story at the time, but ultimately the Sabres could not return to the Stanley Cup final.

That was Audette's last notable season. An unrestricted free agent, he signed with Dallas in 2001 but was soon moved to Montreal, where suffered a scary wrist injury. New York Rangers forward Radek Dvorak's skate accidentally cut Audette's wrist, severing several tendons.

Yet again, Audette persevered and returned to the game. He finished his career quietly in Florida, playing 28 games with the Panthers in 2004.

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Jerry Korab

Buffalo fans endeared themselves to a monstrous defenseman named Jerry Korab - better known as King Kong Korab, or just Kong.

Korab was nicknamed King Kong because of his intimidating size and his appearance. At 6'3 and 220lbs he was a big as the giant gorilla. Plus he sported a messy mop of hair and big bushy moustache.

He also played a bit like King Kong on skates- his intimidating presence kept the opponents honest while allowing his teammates - particularly the French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert - to thrive. Opponents knew that they could not take liberties on the Sabres star players because Korab would answer the bell every time.

Such aggressive play made him a fan favorite. One fan even dressed regularly in a gorilla suit in tribute to the rugged blueliner.

But Korab was much more than just an intimidating enforcer. Korab was a very skilled rearguard, who was also shuffled to the left wing early in his career. In his first season in Buffalo he broke all club scoring records for defensemen when he scored 12 goals, 44 assists and 56 points. He later bettered his goal scoring record to 14 goals (all records have now been surpassed). Over much of his career in Buffalo he played the point on one of the power play units in the 1970s.

Korab was originally property of the Chicago Blackhawks but after three seasons of being shuffled between the blueline and left wing, he was traded to Vancouver. He appeared in just 31 games with the Canucks before he was moved to the Canucks expansion twins - the Buffalo Sabres in a trade for Tracy Pratt and John Gould.

In Buffalo the inconsistent Korab developed into a solid and more consistent rearguard. Under Punch Imlach, Korab gained much confidence in his game, and became an all star by 1975. Korab teamed with Jim Schoenfeld to form one of the biggest and most physical defensive pairings in NHL history. In addition to settling down defensively he became a decent offensive threat. Six times he reached double digits in goals, and was a constant 45-50 point threat in his stay in Buffalo.

The Sabres traded the aging veteran to Los Angeles in exchange for a 1st round pick in the 1982 entry draft (The Sabres used the draft pick to select the outstanding Phil Housley), on March 10, 1980. Korab had one great year left in him when he scored 9 goals and a career high 52 points in his first full season in Los Angeles, but he quickly settled into more of a defensive role in the twilight of his career.

And by 1983 the Sabres reclaimed Korab via the waiver wire when the Kings exposed Korab, who was clearly a step too slow in the new explosive NHL of the early 1980s. Despite that, Korab played parts of two more seasons with Buffalo, retiring in 1985.

The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native retired from the NHL with 114 goals, 341 assists and 455 points in 975 games. He collected a well earned 1629 penalty minutes in that time as well.

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Derek Smith

When Derek Smith graduated from the Ottawa 67s to the pros, the Buffalo Sabres probably did not have the biggest expectations of him. After all, he was the 168th overall draft pick in 1974.

It took a few seasons of setbacks and minor league training, but Smith emerged as a solid player by the end of the decade. Playing on a line with Danny Gare and Tony McKegney, he put together back to back seasons exceeding 20 goals and averaging 64 points.

Smith was part of one of the biggest trades in Sabres history when Buffalo traded Smith, Danny Gare and Jim Schoenfeld to Detroit in exchange for Mike Foligno, Dale McCourt and Brent Peterson on December 2, 1981.

Smith never really found his game in Detroit. After two very quiet seasons with the Red Wings Derek Smith retired in 1984. In 335 NHL games player Smith scored 78 goals, 116 points for 194 points. He played very politely, picking up only 60 minutes in penalties.

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