On-air Durability
Well known for his on-air durability, Phillips once even tried to call a game while suffering a bleeding nose so bad that it blurred his vision and was known to call games even while sick with severe colds. Phillips had only missed 9 periods of Oilers hockey - two full games missed due to illness and three first periods missed after participating in on-ice ceremonies - until November 2008, when he missed a 7 game road trip only after being banned from flying by his doctors due to an ear infection. At the time, Phillips said that felt that he was 'letting people down.' Bob Stauffer, the regular color commentator, filled in for him on during the road trip, an admirable performance which led many to speculate Stauffer would be Phillips' eventual replacement. Upon Phillips' retirement, Jack Michaels was named as his replacement.
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