Report: Phil Housley 'leading choice' to land Devils' head coaching gig

Two can become one.

Phil Housley is general manager Ray Shero's "leading choice" to topple the New Jersey Devils' former two-headed leadership front and become the 17th head coach in club history, reports NJ.com's Rich Chere.

Housley, 51, emerged as a legitimate NHL coaching prospect after leading the U.S. World Junior team to a gold medal in 2013. He's currently an assistant coach under Peter Laviolette with the uptempo Nashville Predators, overseeing an elite crop of NHL defensemen.

He's the second-leading scorer among U.S.-born alumni, having compiled 338 goals and 1,232 points off the blue line.

Housley only briefly donned a Devils' uniform in his 21 seasons, skating in 22 games late in the 1996 season.