"My first good look at him was at the World Juniors when he won gold [in 2012 with the United States]," Phillips said. "Every game I watched, he lit it up. Then I found out he was a Flames prospect. My eyes blew open there. I've been glued to his games ever since.
"I just like watching his focus. When he has the puck, I watch how creative he is. He doesn't shy away from making the bold play with the puck that if it works, it's high reward. Not just that, but his focus on the ice, from what I hear around the rink, is pretty special. I like watching his demeanor on the ice and how he approaches it all."
That approach has seen Gaudreau, 22, skyrocket from a standout with Dubuque of the United States Hockey League, to a star and Hobey Baker Award winner at Boston College, to a cornerstone with the Flames.
Gaudreau has learned some lessons along the way, ones he hopes he can pass on to help Phillips in his development.
"For him, getting stronger … it's a given," said Gaudreau, who will represent Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey 2016. "You want to get as strong as you can. For us small players, being strong from the waist down is really important for us. When you're skating, you've got to keep your head up at all times. You can't be getting hit from guys like [Zdeno] Chara every night and expect to be playing for a long time. It won't happen. You have to keep your head up.
"There's a lot of things I can give advice for, but it'll be his attitude that is going to make him become a better player. You need to set goals for yourself and make sure you are working hard."
Phillips already has started to heed Gaudreau's advice in the hopes of one day joining him on Calgary's roster.
"For me, I need a lot more power in my game," Phillips said. "I think I'm a pretty quick player, but once you get that power then you kind of have more dimensions to your game and you're more explosive.
"If you're not working on that, then you're going to fall behind pretty quick."
