27 greatest American NHL players of all-time

6. player. 12. <p>Phil Housley never won a Norris Trophy or a Stanley Cup but he did retire as the leading scorer among American-born players with 1,232 career points. His 338 goals, 121 power play goals, 48 game-winning goals and 894 assists are also the most among American defensemen.</p> <p>Housley played the first eight years of his 21-year career with the Buffalo Sabres and was the runner-up for the Calder in 1982-1983 at the ripe young age of 18 after he was the No. 6 pick in the 1982 draft. He had 66 points that rookie year to start a string of 11 straight seasons with at least 60 points.</p> <p>His 1,495 career games was the record for Americans, breaking the previous mark set by Craig Ludwig, before Chris Chelios broke it seven years later. He really was ahead of his time as an offensive-oriented defenseman who would have thrived in today’s NHL The seven-time All-Star is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.</p>. Defenseman. Buffalo Sabres. Phil Housley

106. <p>Pat LaFontaine played his entire 15-year career in the state of New York after he was the No. 3 pick of the Islanders in the 1983 Draft. He played eight years with the Islanders where he scored 287 of his 468 career goals. The flashy center was one of the more electrifying playmakers during his prime when he rattled off six-straight 40-goal seasons from 1987-1993, including a pair of 50-goal seasons.</p> <p>The last two of those 40-goal campaigns came with the Buffalo Sabres after a blockbuster trade moved him off the island to the capital of New York where he played six seasons and had his best season of his career in 1992-1993. LaFontaine scored 53 goals and had a career-high 95 assists and 148 points. He finished in third for the Lady Byng and the Hart Trophy that year.</p> <p>His 468 goals rank sixth among American forwards, his 1,019 assists rank ninth and his 1,013 points rank seventh all-time, but his 1.171 points per game average is best among any American NHL player of all-time.</p>. Center. New York Islanders. Pat LaFontaine. 5. player