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Islanders legend Clark Gillies dead at age 67
NHL Hall of Famer and Islanders legend Clark Gillies died aged 67 Friday night, the team announced. There was no immediate cause given.
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Islanders legend and four-time Stanley Cup champion Clark Gillies died Friday night at age 67, the team announced. No cause of death was given.
Gillies played the first 12 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Islanders (1974-86) and became synonymous with success when the team went to the playoffs in every one of his seasons and won their legendary four straight Cups from 1980-83. Gillies played on the Trio Grande line with Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier and scored more than 30 goals in a season six times with the franchise.
Head coach Barry Trotz learned of the news as he came off the ice Friday night following the Islanders’ win over the Coyotes, and informed the team upon its return to the dressing room.
“He was bigger than life,” Trotz said. “You saw Clark Gillies, you thought Islander.”
Gillies’ name is all over the franchise’s record books: fourth in goals (304), fifth in assists (359), fourth in points (663) and fifth in games played (872). Gilles was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2002, and his No. 9 was retired by the organization in 1996. He played two seasons with the Sabres after leaving Long Island before retiring following the 1987-88 campaign.