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The New York Islanders have announced the passing of their former captain Clark Gillies, 67, who helped the team capture four Stanley Cups as part of what’s arguably the greatest dynasty in hockey history.
“The entire Islanders community is devastated by the loss of Clark Gillies,” Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders president and GM said in a statement. “He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander. The pride he felt wearing the Islanders sweater on the ice was evident by his willingness to do anything to win.”
As an Islander, Clark “Jethro” Gillies was part of a squad that won an NHL record 19 straight playoff series wins, which has been considered widely to be an unbreakable record in a professional sports world where records are made to be broken.
A native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Gillies was a member of the Islanders from the 1974-75 through 1985-86 seasons. He was selected by the Islanders in the first round (4th overall) of the 1974 NHL Entry Draft.
He played in 872 games, scoring 304 goals and 359 assists for 663 points (fourth all-time in franchise history), according to the Islanders website. In 159 playoff games with the Islanders, he scored 47 goals with 46 assists for 93 points.
Gillies was among 17 Islanders players that won four straight Stanley Cups championships from 1980-1983.
“Off the ice, he was just as big of a presence, always taking the time to give back to the local community,” Lamoriello said. “The New York Islanders have four Stanley Cups because of the sacrifices he and the members of those dynasty teams made for the franchise. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Gillies family.”
Click here to read more about Gillies and his legacy on Long Island from the New York Islanders.
Top photo: Twitter/@JRedcom
