Youngstown native, ex-Sabre Houser joins Phantoms staff
Trending
After a 14-year professional career spanning the top three tiers of North American hockey, as well as a season overseas in Slovakia, Youngstown native Michael Houser is back home.
In August, Houser was announced as the new Director of Goaltending Development for the Youngstown Phantoms.
Knowing he was nearing the end of his playing career, Houser played last season in Slovakia. Playing in Europe was something he wanted to do before hanging up his skates. After the season, he explored his options when the Phantoms called, offering an opportunity that was hard to pass up.
"I knew I was only going to play another year or two, anyways, but I think when this opportunity came up, it gave me a clean transition out of the game, but still, obviously, being around the game as a coach," Houser said. "Being at home was kind of the selling point. This is my home. ... It was a pretty easy decision.
"Honestly, after I thought about it for a couple of days, I was like, 'You don't have many opportunities to be able to stop playing on your own terms, but also have a job set up right out from playing.' To do that with a great team that has a history of winning, but also is home for me, so it was kind of the best of both worlds in terms of being on a really good team and a good organization, but also being right by home for me. It was kind of the perfect situation, and ended up being a no-brainer."
Now, Houser will be at Deep Freeze in Boardman for Phantom practices, the same ice he first learned to skate. He even got to share some of the other Mahoning Valley customs with his family.
"It's awesome. It's really cool for myself and for my family," Houser said. Coming back and doing camp at Deep Freeze, it's pretty cool to be at the same rink that I first learned to skate at growing up. Even the little things, like the kids all went to the Canfield Fair yesterday. That's something that my family and I did when we were growing up as kids. Just stuff like that around town. It's really cool to, after so many years playing all across the country, just to be back home, kind of where it all started."
Houser's title, director of goaltending development, is a multi-pronged role. While his priority is helping day-to-day with the goaltenders on the active roster and assisting the staff with all things goaltender-related, Houser will also be involved with the Phantoms' netminder prospects in the system.
It doesn't hurt that he's already worked with new head coach Nathan Paetsch in multiple capacities. Houser was with the AHL's Rochester Americans as Paetsch was winding down his playing career, and was still on the roster when Paetsch joined the Buffalo Sabres as a development coach, as well as his return to Rochester as one of the Americans' assistant coaches.
"When I would get called up from Cincinnati to Rochester, (Paetsch) was there. He was great as a player, but his leadership in the room when he was an older player in the American League, it really stuck out, and I noticed that right away," Houser said. "He was great with me as a call-up guy. He made me feel really comfortable in the room. ... I got to see him from the teammate side of things, from a player development side of things, and (as a coach). I've seen him do it all, and it's really comforting to have him here as a head coach."
Houser played six games in the NHL with the Sabres, and became somewhat of a cult hero. In his first two appearances - a back-to-back against the New York Islanders during the 2020-21 season - Houser recorded a combined 82 saves and earned a pair of victories, one of which was a 4-3 shootout. At the time, Houser, 28, was the oldest netminder to make his debut for the team. It was the first game he had played in nearly 14 months.
By that point, doubt was creeping in as to whether the day he'd make his debut would ever come, but when it did, Houser wanted to make the most of it.
"It was something that I've wanted obviously forever, just like every kid that plays hockey does, but as you get a little bit older, you get into your mid 20s, and you start to wonder if it's ever going to happen," Houser said. "I worked just as hard, no matter where I was, whether it was the East Coast League or American League, or when I was on the (Sabres') taxi squad during that COVID year. I always worked hard, and I always felt like I was good enough that I'd be able to compete in NHL games, but until you get the chance to do it, you don't really know. You're telling yourself that. I just think that getting those games and performing well in the majority of them was something that was really, really satisfying for myself just because I thought for the longest time that I would be able to do that and go in and win an NHL game if my number was ever called.
"I think it was a good lesson in patience and just keep your head down and work. I think when you work hard, even in tough situations, that you know things will usually end up working out. I just wanted to make sure that when I did get that call, that I was prepared for it, and I think I was, and I think that's the thing that I'm most proud about."
The Phantoms hit the ice for the first time this season on Sept. 17 as a part of the USHL Fall Classic. Youngstown will square off with the Des Moines Buccaneers, the USHL team Houser spent the 2008-09 season with. The start time for the game is 1 p.m.