Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - The Red Deer 'Yan tawayen zaba Phaneuf a zagaye na uku na 2000 WHL Bantam daftarin. Shekara guda bayan haka, ya koma Rebels don kakar 2001-02 kuma ya zira kwallaye 32 a wasanni 67. Ya kara taimakawa biyu a wasanni 21 yayin da 'yan tawayen suka rasa a wasan karshe na WHL da Kootenay Ice. Ya inganta zuwa kwallaye 30 da maki 42 a 2002-03 yayin da 'yan tawayen suka sake kaiwa wasan karshe na WHL, kuma suka sake yin asara, a wannan karon ga Kelowna Rockets. Ci gaban Phaneuf ya ba shi kwatankwacin Hall of Famer Scott Stevens, yayin da 'yan leken asirin suka yaba masa saboda salon jikinsa da ikon yin fice a cikin tsaro da kai hari. Babban manajan Calgary Flames na lokacin Darryl Sutter ya daraja Phaneuf sosai a cikin NHL Entry Draft na 2003
cewa ya yi ƙoƙarin yin ciniki daga zaɓinsa na tara a cikin shirin, duk da cewa ba tare da amfani ba. Duk da haka, ya sami damar zaɓar Phaneuf tare da zaɓin farko na Calgary a cikin daftarin.