Clark Gillies, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and a member of the Hockey Corridor of Farmer, passed away at the age of 67. In a statement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, “The National Hockey League mourns the loss of Clark Gillies, who was a tower of power on the ice for the legendary New York Islanders of the early eighties and a stalwart of the Lengthy Island community ever since.”
During a 14-season, Corridor of Fame career with the Islanders and Buffalo Sabers that was highlighted by winning four consecutive Stanley Cups with the Islanders, Gillies contributed to the definition of the phrase “energy forward.”
The Islanders selected him in the fourth round of the 1974 NHL draft, making him a native of Saskatchewan. While playing with the Islanders, he scored 304 goals and added 359 assists in 872 virtual games over the course of 12 seasons.
Gillies had 47 goals and 46 assists in 159 postseason video games with the Islanders during his time there. Among the 17 Islanders that won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983, Gillies was part of the team that set a league record with their 19-game playoff streak in 1980 — a record that still holds today.
The left winger was a member of one of several decades’ most lucrative forward lines, called the “Trio Grande,” which included two other future Hockey Hall of Famers, centerryan Trottier and proper winger Mike Bossy. Trottier and Bossy are also Hall of Famers. Workforce Canada finished in second place overall at the 1981 Canada Cup, thanks in part to this statement.
“The absence of Clark Gillies has had a devastating effect on the whole Islanders community,” said Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello. He embodied all that it meant to be an Islander in New York. His eagerness to do anything he could to help the Islanders win demonstrated how much he enjoyed wearing the sweater on the rink. Off the ice, he was just as dominant, always taking the time to help those in need in the surrounding neighborhood, which was greatly appreciated.
The sacrifices he and the other members of these dynasty groups made for the New York Islanders have resulted in four Stanley Cups for the team to date. On behalf of the whole organization, we express our heartfelt sympathies to the Gillies family and their extended family. ”
After the Islanders’ 4-0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, head coach Barry Trotz stated that the team will miss the momentum gained in the previous two games.
“He was a force to be reckoned with,” Trotz remarked. If you spotted Clark Gillies, you probably assumed he was an islander. I’m implying that there was little room for doubt. There was no room for ambiguity. Charismatic Because he was a resident of the community, he adopted the appropriate attitude.
Everything that you focus on as an islander, from being a great teammate to being an incredible individual, are all important considerations. When I was told to get off the ice, my pulse rate fell. I couldn’t breathe. You understand that he might be missed, and that he most likely will be. ”
On December 7, 1996, the New York Yankees retired Gillies’ number 9 jersey.
In 2002, Gillies was admitted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame, which honors former honorsyers. The following is said about him on his bio web page: “He was a determined competitor who was almost unstoppable when the other group aroused his ire.”
After two seasons with the Sabers, Gillies finished his career with 319 goals and 378 assists in the regular season, which would be the best total of his career.
Then, Gillies founded The Clark Gillies Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to children who are physically, developmentally, and/or financially challenged. According to the group’s website, the goal is to “support youth in raising their quality of living while also being of assistance in times of calamity.”
The Gillies Pediatric Emergency Unit at Huntington Hospital on Lengthy Island has been named in honor of Gillihonor the research that he conducted.
