Corridor of Famer Clark Gillies, a stalwart on the New York Islanders’ dynasty that received 4 straight Stanley Cup championships within the early Eighties, has died. He was 67.
The Islanders introduced Gillies loss of life Friday evening, with workforce president and basic supervisor Lou Lamoriello saying “the whole Islanders neighborhood is devastated by the loss.” The workforce didn't say the place Gillies died or present a reason for loss of life.
“He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander,“ Lamoriello mentioned. “The pleasure he felt sporting the Islanders sweater on the ice was evident by his willingness to do something to win.
“Off the ice, he was simply as massive of a presence, all the time taking the time to provide again to the area people. The New York Islanders have 4 Stanley Cups due to the sacrifices he and the members of these dynasty groups made for the franchise.”
Gillies had 319 targets and 378 assists in 958 video games over 14 seasons with the Islanders and Buffalo Sabres. He spent the majority of his profession with New York and is fourth on the franchise checklist in targets (304) and factors (663), and fifth in assists (359). One among 17 gamers on the workforce that received the 4 Cups from 1980-83 and an NHL-record 19 consecutive postseason sequence, he had 47 targets and 46 assists in 159 playoff video games.
The Saskatchewan native had his No. 9 retired by the Islanders in 1996 and was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2002.
Gillies remained a preferred determine across the franchise after his retirement, attending video games and interacting with followers. Nicknamed “Jethro” after a personality from “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Gillies was proven on the video board at Nassau Coliseum in the course of the playoffs final 12 months chugging a beer and crushing the can towards his head.
“I all the time admired him as a participant. However as an individual, how he cared concerning the neighborhood and the Islanders,” coach Barry Trotz mentioned after the Islanders’ 4-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday. “He was keen to go above and past to guarantee that the followers bought to the subsequent stage and the workforce bought to the subsequent stage.”
He was an endeared by the present group of Islanders gamers as effectively.
“Anytime you bumped into Clark, it was an exquisite expertise and nice dialog,” captain Anders Lee mentioned. “He lived and breathed Islanders hockey. My coronary heart goes out to his household and all of his mates and the individuals he has touched since he has been on the Island. It’s a tragic day.”
Ahead Matt Martin agreed, including: “He epitomizes all the things that the New York Islanders are. He walks right into a room, he's charismatic, he carries a room. I bear in mind after I met him for the primary time, I all the time thought that’s who I need to be after I develop up.”
Off the ice, he began The Clark Gillies Basis to help youngsters challenged bodily, developmentally or financially. The pediatric unit at Huntington Hospital on Lengthy Island was named after Gillies after his Basis helped elevate $1 million for its building.
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