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Thursday, November 25, 1999
Troopers
Housley on top of game as mother battles cancer
Phil Housley has a lot of reasons to be happy.
He's battling for the scoring lead among NHL defenceman.
He's shirked an image as an aloof, selfish person to become a leader on the Calgary Flames.
Yet, it all seems unimportant most days.
For while he leads his team on the ice, Housley's thoughts wander back to his mom Mary Lee in St. Paul, Minn., and her battle with cancer.
Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. -- Housley knows Mary Lee will be watching tonight's game against Chicago on television.
"She wants me to go out there and do the best that I can do, so in return, that's the best gift I can give to her at this stage in her life," says Housley.
That life hangs by a thread -- as it does in all cases of terminal cancer.
Life had been so good until that day in May when Phil was alarmed by his mom's increasing forgetfulness.
He knew there was something wrong, so Phil and his sister-in-law had Mary Lee taken into the hospital for a check-up.
It revealed cancer -- the worst kind.
Mary Lee was rushed into surgery and a cancerous tumour the size of a nectarine was removed from the front right of her brain. That's what had been affecting her memory.
"She had another test the other day and were supposed to get the results, so hopefully it will be something positive because the type of cancer she has is the worst," says Housley.
"It's a Grade 4 tumour and that means it's the fastest growing, and there are only things you can do to stabilize it.
"She is doing pretty good, moving around the house, but she has to stay off her feet quite a bit. She is improving.
"It's not fun for her right now but she is a trooper.
"She is on the satellite dish watching the games, but she likes when we play out East 'cause the games are earlier."
In those games, she has seen her son play some of the best hockey of his career -- and that coming at 35 years old.
Housley trailed only Rob Blake in scoring among defenceman going into last night's games, and he can be expected to take a run at winning that scoring title.
On the ice, Housley has been, at times, brilliant. Against the Islanders, he set up one goal, created a breakaway with another pass and was a one-man penalty killing unit, demonstrating unsurpassed skating and stickhandling skill among defencemen.
There are times this season when it seems Housley has single-handedly turned up his game to lift this team above its offensive malaise.
"Brian always tells me to pick my spots," says Housley.
"That's been the biggest part of my game throughout my career -- picking the right spots. Sometimes I tend to try and do too much and inevitably it backfires on you, so there are going to be times in games where you don't have that freedom.
"You just have to learn to be patient and when you do get the chance make sure you capitalize. That's why I have played good to this point -- I am taking what the other team is really giving me. Not more."
But the individual attention is something Housley has always had in becoming the top scoring U.S.-born NHL player.
He wants something different now.
"If we don't make the playoffs, whatever I achieve would mean nothing," says Housley. "The first priority for this team is to carry on this little streak we have going so we have a good chance to be .500 at home, which we haven't had in a long time. I think if we can keep playing consistent hockey it would be more important for me to feel good about myself."
Of course, feeling good is difficult with his mom battling a nasty cancer back home in Minnesota.
"At first it was very emotional," says Housley. "She is a fighter though. She says she is going to beat it and we pray for her.
"I'm going to try and get there before Christmas to see here, being away for Thanksgiving today it would be nice to win for her. It's not a very fun thing to deal with when your mom has cancer and she is only 62 years old.
"The best thing I can do is play hard, and in any chance I get to do a television interview, tell her directly that I am thinking of her.
"But it puts everything about life, about hockey, into a new perspective."
Phil Housley can only play, and on the ice he continues to carve out a season to remember.
One son's tribute to his dying mom.
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