Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Housley Back Where He Belongs

June 15, 2017, 7:06 PM ET [26 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT

Welcome home, Coach! 🏡

A post shared by Buffalo Sabres (@buffalosabres) on



It was in 1982 that Phil Housley was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round (6th overall) of the NHL Entry Draft. Thirty five years and six days later, Housley is the new head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.


Housley has successfully completed the NHL circle of life.


From high school star to Buffalo Sabres star to Hockey Hall Of Famer to high school hockey coach to NHL assistant coach to Buffalo Sabres head coach.


Who says you can't go home?

All I can say is hallelujah that Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon hired Bob Boughner on Monday rather than wait to interview Housley on Tuesday. Housley was high on Tallon's short list of head coaching candidates. Tallon opted to skip the Housley interview and moved immediately to hire Boughner.

Sabres fans owe Tallon a debt of gratitude.



Buffalo Sabres fans better get ready for an aggressive, uptempo, five man offensive attack.

Newly minted Sabres head coach Phil Housley wasted no time at all setting the expectations of his loyal fan base.




Thanks, Buffalo Sabres


“I just feel I’m ready,” Housley said. “I knew this organization before, and I’m really excited for that challenge to be the head coach of a hockey team.

“I describe myself as intense, patient, competitive, willing to win, respect, credible. Those are some of the words that come to mind, but you learn from your experiences.”


Sabres GM Jason Botterill was impressed by Housley's vision. Botterill said Thursday that Housley's core values are nearly identical to the Sabres' organizational objectives and goals.


"He gets the most out of his players, and I think that trait resonated in the interview process,” Botterill said. “His approach to the game aligns with the way we envision our hockey team playing, and we’re excited to see where his leadership will take us.”



Hey, Phil. Are young going to run the Guy Boucher 1-3-1 crap trap?

Yeah, right!

“I think the brand of hockey is playing with pace, playing fast, and that includes a five-man attack. Our defense is going to be very involved in the play,” Housley said at his introductory presser on Wednesday. “We have to play good defense, obviously, but I think if we can get five guys up in the play – whether it’s on a breakout through the neutral zone or in the offensive zone – I think it gets the odds in your favor. It’s going to be fast.”

Here we go!

Three forwards and two D pushing the pace!

I love the high risk/high reward strategy because Sabres have the horses to rodeo. Housley had high praise for Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons, Tyler Ennis, Matt Moulson, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brendan Guhle and Jake McCabe. Wowie also has Samson Reinhart, Evander Kane, Marcus Foligno, Johan Larsson, Viktor Antipin, Zach Bogosian, Brian Gionta and a whack of fresh prospects (Justin Bailey, Nick Baptiste, Alex Nylander, Evan Rodrigues, Hudson Fasching, Will Carrier and others).


" I anticipate an attacking mindset, playing with speed, playing with pace, playing fast. That includes a five-man attack. Our defense is going to be very involved in the play.”

Housley also said that he is not one for one hour and fifteen minute practices.



"I want us to play uptempo all the time, even in practicesi love this attitude. Teams play in games the way they practice. If they go through the motions in practice, they do the same thing in games. However, if they go 120 mph in practices, they will do likewise inside games.


Fast, north hockey. At. All. Times.

Hell yes!


“We have to give these guys the responsibility to make plays,” Housley said, who is tickled to be the 18th head coach in Buffalo Sabres history.

Housley was Buffalo's first round draft choice in 1982. As a freckle faced, Richie Cunningham lookalike in a rock star's body, Housley was an immediate hit in Buffalo among the loyal, diehard Sabres zealots.

Housley expressed his gratitude to the Pegulas, Jason Botterill and the fans.

“I don’t think it has really sunk in."

Housley and his wife, Karin, are celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary today. Wowie told a story about how he told his wife that he returned to their hotel room and apologized for not buying her a Hallmark greeting card for their anniversary. Instead, he gave her the gift of a return to to the town that they called home GM from 1982 until 1990. Housley's wife was a news producer at a Buffalo TV station when Phil was thrilling the crowds at The Aud. Two of the Housley's kids were born in Buffalo. Now, they are heading home.

“I know my wife and I and my family are very excited to come back to Buffalo and be a part of this community. But I’m really looking forward to the challenge. I don’t think people realize how pumped I am about coming back to Buffalo, being a part of this organization and trying to do something special here.”


Housley played to the hockey crazed fan base throughout his introductory media conference.


"It was fantastic. I enjoyed it. People in Buffalo are very passionate about their team, and if they see an honest effort, they’re going to support you. I just remember the crowds in the Aud, the fans in the rink high-fiving you after the game. It’s an exciting time for me. I’m going to draw on those memories because it’s an exciting sports town.”


Sabres GM Jason Botterill raved about Housley's preparation and attention to every little detail.

“Phil’s extremely prepared for his meetings, detailed, goes about in a very concise way,” Botterill said. “Second is just his communication skills. Whether star players, up-and-coming defensemen, he’s found a way to interact with them … on a personal level. And thirdly, just his track of development – whether it’s in high school, whether it’s in juniors, whether it’s the National Hockey League – he gets the most out of his players; he gets the most out of his young players.”


When asked about forming a relationship with his star young player Jack Eichel, Housley said he relishes the opportunity to meet and get to know Eichel and his family. He extended his sentiment to all players on his roster.

“P.K. Subban was a tremendous personality. I think I can use that experience in trying to get to Jack. I think it’s about breeding a relationship and getting to know the player, what he’s about and what he brings to the team. He’s a terrific talent.

“It’s about creating relationships with those players. They got to know where you stand; you have to know where they stand. I think it’s a culture thing, too – build a foundation, set the standards.”

Housley impressed his owner, Terry Pegula.

Pegula was very quick to point out that in 1982, he was a Sabres season ticketholder who sat in the red seats at The Aud, marveling at Housley's virtuosity.


Pegula loves Housley's humility and character.

“He has humbled himself by having the career he had in the National Hockey League and then coaching high school hockey,” Pegula said. “He’s learned his trade. He started at the bottom humbly. He didn’t play humble, but he started his coaching career in that kind of fashion.”

Housley spent four seasons Peter Labiolette's assistant coach in Smashville. Housley also cut his teeth as a head coach for Stillwater High School in Minnesota. He is best known for leading Team USA to a gold medal win at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships





****




Botterill explained why Rick Tocchet and Jacques Martin were not interviewed by the Sabres.

In a nutshell, he wants to build a Buffalo culture with Buffalo people. Not a Pittsburgh culture in Buffalo.

“Rick is going to be a head coach in the very near future. But I just felt it wasn’t a situation where I needed to go through the interview process working with him for three-plus years.



Kyle Okposo is on track to report for the start of training camp in Septembe.

Okposo is recovering from the undisclosed illness that caused him to be hospitalized in April.

Sabres GM Jason Botterill updated Okposo's situation during a side bar conversation with media following the Phil Housley introductory presser.

Botterill said Okposo " looks great". Last week, Okposo reportedly visited the Sabres arena for the first time since he took I'll in late March. Okposo hung out with the training staff and some of hisbSabres teammates during his brief visit to the office.

***



Notre Dame goalie star and Sabres prospect Cal Petersen will become a free agent on June 29. That is, if he chooses to not sign his entry level contract with Buffalo.

Botterill and Phil Housley are about to put the double team on Petersen.


"We're gonna meet with him again next week," Botterill said in a post presser scrum on Thursday.

"Obviously, coming to the organization I didn't have a strong relationship with Cal, but I've enjoyed our dialogues with him. It's a situation, where in the CBA, he has that righ to test free agency. Both players and team utilize the right of the CBA, but through the whole process we've continued to have our dialogues with him.

"He has good relationships with the goalie development staff in our organization and we also think it's a great fit here, both in Buffalo and Rochester, for him to achieve his NHL goals."




**

* Jason Botterill has had several discussions with Vegas GM George McPhee. Botterill isn't letting the cat out of the bag ahead of the NHL expansion draft. McPhee is holding all the cards right now. Suffice to say, McPhee and Botterill are holding their cards close to their vests. Both GMs are aware of the favor still owed to Buffalo from the now famous Jaro Halak-Rusty Klesla trade.

In February, former Sabres GM Murray said he did a "favor" for George McPhee while he was GM of the Washington Capitals. At the time, Murray sounded like he and the Sabres were openly campaigning to cash in on the favor from 2014.

"I’ve had a conversation or two with George on who I wouldn’t like to lose and how we can make that happen. Maybe I’ve done a deal with George in the past that was considered somewhat of a favor. Maybe I’ve had a conversation with him reminding him of that, and he remembered the wordage of that deal word-for-word, which I was very happy to hear", said Murray.


The favor in question is the now infamous Rusty Klesla salary dump. It went like this:

Washington received: goalie Jaroslav Halak and a 2015 3rd round pick.
Buffalo received: goalie Michal Neuvirth and defenseman "Rusty" Klesla



The favor was in the form of Buffalo taking Klesla, who never laced up his skates in Buffalo. "Rusty" and his $3 million contract went back home to his native Czech Republic, and was blasted off McPhee’s salary cap.

"You only do a favor when it suits you. You do a favor for somebody when you can afford to do that favor now, knowing that you might need something down the road. That’s what favors are", said Murray.


So what does Jason Botterill want in return from McPhee? Only Tim Murray, George McPhee and Jason Botterill know the answer to that question.

We will find out the answer shortly.




* Botterill is open to trading the 8th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.


Here's Botterill's post presser media scrum.




Thanks, Buffalo Sabres






More to come....
Join the Discussion: » 26 Comments » Post New Comment
More from GARTH'S CORNER
» Hailing Taxis
» He With The Gold Makes The Rules
» Sedentary Seven
» The Sedentary Seven
» GadZuccs