| Position: | Defence |
| Played For: | New Jersey Devils Boston Bruins Calgary Flames Tampa Bay Lightning Vancouver Canucks Phoenix Coyotes Washington Capitals |
| Shoots: | Right |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 200 |
| Birth Date: | January 9, 1967 |
| Birth Place: | Creston, British Columbia, Canada |
| Draft: | 171st overall |
| Draft Year: | 1985 |
| Draft Team: | New Jersey Devils |
| Career Start: | 1987 |
| Career End: | 2001 |
James W. Huscroft (born January 9, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent parts of ten seasons in the National Hockey League.
Huscroft was born in Creston, British Columbia. A tough defensive defenceman, Huscroft accumulated almost 3,000 penalty minutes in his professional hockey career, including over 1,000 in the National Hockey League (NHL). While a slow skater and not possessing tremendous natural abilities, Huscroft succeeded in pro hockey due to his tremendous grit, work ethic, and perseverance. Though he was never more than a sixth or seventh defender on any team in the NHL, he was a consummate warrior and leader, and well respected by teammates and rivals alike.
Huscroft was originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1985 NHL Draft, and turned professional in 1987. He spent five years with New Jersey's top AHL affiliate in Utica, and also managed to appear in 65 NHL games for the Devils before moving to the Boston Bruins organization in 1992. He managed to crack Boston's NHL roster for good midway through the 1993–94 season, and stuck in the NHL for the next six seasons, also suiting up for the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, and Washington Capitals. He finished his career in 2001 with 5 goals and 37 points in 352 career NHL games, along with 1,065 penalty minutes.
Huscroft was an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League,[1] and currently works with HES, Hockey Educational Systems in Renton, Washington, instructing amateur ice hockey players of all levels and is the director of facilities for Sno-King Ice Arenas (Renton and Kirkland, Washington).
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1983–84 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 18 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Seattle Breakers | WHL | 45 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 62 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | ||
| 1984–85 | Seattle Breakers | WHL | 69 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 273 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 66 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 394 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | ||
| 1986–87 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 21 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 14 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 71 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 125 | ||
| 1987–88 | Utica Devils | AHL | 71 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 316 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Flint Spirits | IHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 110 | ||
| 1988–89 | Utica Devils | AHL | 41 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 215 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | ||
| 1988–89 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Utica Devils | AHL | 22 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 42 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 149 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 1990–91 | Utica Devils | AHL | 59 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 339 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1991–92 | Utica Devils | AHL | 50 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 224 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 69 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 257 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1993–94 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 32 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 157 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 36 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 144 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 1994–95 | Fresno Falcons | SuHL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 34 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 103 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | ||
| 1995–96 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 70 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 162 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 39 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 44 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 56 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 154 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 1999–00 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 406 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 1796 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 60 | ||||
| NHL totals | 352 | 5 | 33 | 38 | 1065 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 46 | ||||