"Phil is a great addition to our coaching staff," said Chayka. "His experience as a player, combined with his success overseeing defensive units, make him a perfect fit for this job. We're all excited to work with him and leverage his knowledge of the game to make us better."
"I'm very pleased to add Phil to our coaching staff," said Coyotes Head Coach Rick Tocchet. "Phil is a tremendous coach and his experience and knowledge of the game will be invaluable to our defensemen."
Housley was hired as the Head Coach for the Buffalo Sabres on June 15, 2017 and served in that role for the past two seasons. The 55-year-old native of St. Paul, Minnesota previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators, helping guide the team to their first ever Stanley Cup appearance in 2017. During his four seasons in Nashville, the Predators ranked in the top two in the league in goals by defensemen in every season and were in the top half in fewest goals allowed in each of his last three seasons with the organization.
"I would like to thank John Chayka and Rick Tocchet for this opportunity to join the Coyotes organization," said Housley. "I played with Rick and John MacLean, and I look forward to working with them and a fantastic coaching staff. I'm very passionate about developing young players and winning, and I look forward to coaching a very talented defensive corps."
Prior to coaching in the NHL, Housley spent time coaching for Team USA at the international level, serving as an assistant coach at two IIHF World Junior Championships and three IIHF World Championships. Most notably, he served as the head coach when Team USA won the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Drafted by Buffalo sixth overall in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, Housley played 21 NHL seasons with the Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs, collecting 338 goals, 894 assists, 1,232 points and 822 penalty minutes in 1,495 career NHL games. A seven-time NHL All-Star (1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000), Housley won a gold medal at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympic games with Team USA. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
