The New York Islanders announced Friday that former forward Clark Gillies has died at the age of 67.
The Hall of Fame member’s cause of death was not specified.
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Gillies has been described by many as one of the best power forwards of his generation and in National Hockey League (NHL) history. Along with Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier and others, the Saskatchewan native helped the famous Islanders dynasty win four Stanley Cups between 1980 and 1983.
“The entire Islanders community is devastated by the loss of Clark Gillies,” team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement. He embodied what it meant to be a New York Islander. The pride with which he wore the Islanders uniform on the ice was highlighted by his will to do everything to win.
Drafted fourth overall in the 1974 draft, Gillies defended the colors of the Big Apple organization for 12 seasons. He concluded his career with two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, taking a well-deserved retirement in 1988.
The 6’3″ colossus is the fourth most prolific player in Islanders history with 663 points, including 304 goals, in 872 games. He also added 93 points in 159 playoff games.
A pillar of the community
If the presence of Gillies was enough to reassure his teammates, it was just as much for the community of Long Island. The Canadian had set up his own foundation – which bears his name – to help children who have to overcome physical, developmental and/or financial challenges.
The pediatric wing of Huntingdon Hospital in New York was also renamed in his honor.
“Off the rink he had an equally great presence, always taking his time to give back to the local community,” Lamoriello said.
The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Clark Gillies, a true rock on the ice for the New York Islanders in the early 1980s and a pillar of the Long Island community ever since.
Gillies was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2002, six years after his No. 9 was hoisted to the heights of UBS Arena.
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