9 was retired by the Islanders. Gillies served as captain of the Islanders from 1977 to 1979, and won the Stanley Cup four years in a row with them, from 1980 to 1983. The New York Islanders announced Friday that legendary forward and Hockey Hall of Famer Clark Gillies died at the age of 67. As a result, when news of the Canadian ice hockey players death began to spread on Twitter today, people panicked. "He's a good dog. "He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander," Lamoriello said. Despite being one of the toughest players of his time, Gillies never had 100 penalty minutes in a season; his NHL high was 99 in 1980-81, when he scored 78 points (33 goals, 45 assists). Nicholas Rice is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. Clark Gillies, who provided a physical presence and scoring touch for the New York Islanders during their dynasty of the early 1980s, died of cancer Friday. He was 67. In the following post, they stated their misery after learning the sudden demise of the legendary power-forward and Hockey Hall of Fame member Clark Gillies. He'll be missed, he really will.". Charismatic, he played the right way, part of the community. 9 retired by the Islanders in 1996 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. Once asked where his native Moose Jaw, Sask., is, he responded, "Six feet from the moose's ass.". Heartbroken, too, is his hometown of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the prairie city of 34,000 that forever was a light in his life. Hall of Famer Clark Gillies, a stalwart on the New York Islanders' dynasty that won four straight Stanley Cup championships in the early 1980s, has died. So I said to myself, 'Well, 14 years, four Stanley Cups and a whole list of accomplishments along the way. The road was uneven to start. Is this correct? ". 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In the second half of the 1976-77 season, his third in the NHL, Gillies replaced Ed Westfall to become the second captain in Islanders history. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. The Islanders announced Gillies death Friday night, with team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello saying "the entire Islanders community is RELATED VIDEO: Former Hockey Player Jimmy Hayes Dead at 31 Just 3 Months After Welcoming Baby Boy. "Clark Gillies Minor Leagues Statistics & History", "Regina Pats legend, Hockey Hall of Famer Clark Gillies dead at 67", "Pats' 1974 Memorial Cup win was a milestone game for Fraser", "Gillies joins linemates in Hall of Fame", "Clark Gillies | the Canadian Encyclopedia", "Hockey Hall of Famer Clark Gillies Passes Away at 67", "Leaving friends tough to do for Bourne, Gillies", "Clark Gillies scored, fought, checked and set the tone for dynastic Islanders", "Maven's Memories: My Favorite Clark Gillies Moments", "How Islander icon's passion continues to help community", "Clark Gillies, Rugged Star on Islanders' Championship Teams, Dies at 67", New York Islanders first round draft pick, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clark_Gillies&oldid=1134991706, Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States, National Hockey League first-round draft picks, National Hockey League players with retired numbers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Biographical information and career statistics from, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 23:12. As one of the bigger players on the ice, he was often engaged in fights with players on other teams, which he felt added to the fun of playing. I said, I will beat the (crap) out of every one of you unless you give me a dollar apiece, Gillies told NHL.com. The rugged reputation of Clark Gillies was cemented in the 1980 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Islanders power forward dropping his gloves four times in two Second Round games against Boston Bruins forward Terry O'Reilly, then once more against forward Al Secord. Your existing password has not been changed. "That's when I was told I'd been elected to the Hall of Fame," Gillies recalled during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But because of the nature of the game back in that era, they had the responsibility of neutralizing big tough guys who had less talent -- me, for example. Unfortunately, Clark Gillies has sadly passed away on January 22, 2022. There was a guy sitting nearby who turned to a friend and said, 'Man, that guy must have had some bad news. The Huntington Hospital Pediatric Unit was named after Gillies and his foundation, which raised $1 million to help fund its construction. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Clark Gillies Passes Away: Cause of Death Revealed Did He Have Cancer? But none of that dominance happens without Clark Gillies. Even to this day, I don't talk about fighting too much. Matt Martin reflects on the passing of New York Islanders great Clark Gillies, discussing how he was a great representative of the Islander franchise and someone he looked up to when he was growing up. "We played together forever and added a few guys in along the way, but for the most part, the team grew up together and were successful together and had a strong bond together, on and off the ice. It was there that the future Islanders legend was the quarterback for his high school football team and played baseball so well that he was signed by the Houston Astros to play on their Appalachian League farm team in Covington, Virginia managed by Billy Smith -- not the future Islanders goalie. Hell be missed by many. We use cookies to improve your experience. Clark Gillies (April 7, 1954 January 21, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Did you encounter any technical issues? I think he epitomizes everything that being a New York Islander is. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media Gillies never fought by choice, but he understood the value of a clenched fist when liberties were taken with teammates. Clark Gillies Passes Away: Cause of Death Revealed The Islanders are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary power-forward and Hockey Hall of Fame member Clark Gillies, everyones mind with his dying stories. His fights against Dave The Hammer Schultz and Ed "Boxcar" Hospodar are legendary, but his offence was absolutely essential to the success of the Islanders. The hockey world mourns the passing of former New York Islanders forward Clark Gillies, who died at age 67. He provided the actual presence and offensive punches for the National Hockey Leagues New York Islanders during his four years as a Stanley Cup champion. Gillies most famously showed his mettle during the 1980 playoffs against the Bruins. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Unfortunately, Clark Gillies has sadly passed away on January 22, 2022. "Everybody remembers the four Cups, the runs they had, all those guys. 2. His first death news was posted by Promote Kenny Yeboah at around 7:35 a.m. Challenge on Instagram Explained and Family, What Does Candy Barnes Do Now? My heart goes out to his family and all of his friends and the people he has touched since he has been on the Island. "He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander. [5] He eventually moved on to play in the Western Canada Hockey League with the Regina Pats. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Gillies family.. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! He was born on 7 April 1954 in Moose Jaw, Canada, he was 67 years old at the time of his demise. He played with a local team in Moose Jaw until it ceased operation. Many players of that era lived near the rink in the off-season -- which, for the Islanders, meant lots of summertime bonding on Long Island that included charity softball games. He was bigger than life, Trotz said. His death news was officially declared by The New York Islanders some moments ago. [12], When Gillies, per tradition, got to have the Stanley Cup with him for 24 hours after the Islanders won it for the first time in 1980, he let his dog, a German shepherd, eat from it. Although Gillies fists were instrumental in clearing space for Trio Grande linemates Bossy and Trottier, it would be unfair to remember him for his fighting. He scored at least 33 goals six times in 12 seasons with the Islanders but topped out at 99 penalty minutes in his roughest year. But there were fireworks in Game 2, referee Dave Newell calling 254 minutes - 128 to the Islanders, 126 to the Bruins. "I remember when I met him for the first time, I always thought, 'That's who I want to be when I grow up.' Promote Kenny Yeboah (@tony_cang) January 22, 2022. "Clarkie's always gone out of his way to welcome players into the organization. On January 22, 2022, netizens onTwitterbegan saying that the legendary ice hockey player had died. He endeared himself to the current group of Islanders players as well. The Islanders announced Gillies' death Friday night, with team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello saying "the entire Islanders community is devastated by the loss." COURTESY: ISLANDERS. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. But the thought passed, and common sense took hold when his eyes glazed over one morning while watching daytime TV. When you think of the dynastic New York Islanders of the 1980s, you likely think of the scoring wizardry of Mike Bossy, the playmaking prowess of Bryan Trottier, the puck-rushing brilliance of Denis Potvin, even the stick-swinging crease curmudgeonry of Billy Smith. Gillies would finish his career with 319 goals and 378 assists in the regular season, after playing two seasons with the Sabres. He was 65. Required fields are marked *. The Islanders announced He and close friend Bob Bourne were the stars of that team. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. The duo lived together in Greenlawn, New York. The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Clark Gillies, a tower of strength on the ice for the dynastic New His death news was officially declared by The New York Islanders some moments ago. The tide was turning. "Anytime you ran into 'Clarkie', it was a wonderful experience. Is he alive or dead? It's a sad day.". On January 22, 2022, netizens onTwitterbegan saying that the legendary ice hockey player had died. Similarly, he was the father-in-law to Justin Bourne, who is the son of his former teammate, Bob Bourne (former assistant coach of the Toronto Marlies). And, tellingly, occasionally his forgiveness extended to the ice as well. The New York Islanders are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary power-forward and Hockey Hall of Fame member Clark Gillies.https://t.co/wKISWA6L2b, New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 22, 2022. The announcement made by the team didnt give details on the cause of his death. "[1] Gillies started skating at around the age of four. ", "The adoration and admiration of his teammates reflected the heart and passion he brought to our game," he added. Clark Gillies cheers on the Islanders on June 23, 2021, the last game at the team's Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Clark Gillies Net Worth $6 Million to $10 Million USD Clark Gillies Passes Away: Cause of Death Revealed Did He Have Cancer? Alongside his career as a skilled hockey player, Gillies also played an instrumental part in giving back to his community, the NHL reported. Clarkie's always gone out of his way to welcome players into the organization. By 1979-80, the clock was running down on the Islanders potential. He topped 30 goals in six seasons, even threatening 40, reaching 38 in 1981-82, and recorded 91 points in 1978-79. [3] He platooned at first base in 1972 with future Islander teammate Bob Bourne. Off the ice, he was just as big of a presence, always taking the time to give back to the local community. You can change your selection at any time. account. Apart from this, nothing much on his family and children could be fetched at the time of writing. Clark Gillies was 67 years of age at the time of his death, as he was born on April 7, 1954, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Hell be missed by many. Skating on the top line with Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, Gillies helped New York win its first of four straight championships in 1980, starting the run of winning playoff series that lasted until the 1984 Stanley Cup Final, which it lost to the Edmonton Oilers. He phoned his office during a layover and was told he had an urgent message to call a Toronto number. Clark Gillies was married to his wife, Pam, who is also a native of Moose Jam. Clark Gillies was a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played with a local team in Moose Jaw until it ceased operation. Gillies was used during this series as the Islanders' chief protector and enforcer, and in taking on this role, Gillies allowed his team to battle through a violent series with the Bruins.
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