Clark Gillies
Encyclopedia
Clark "Jethro" Gillies is a retired professional ice hockey
player. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
. He provided both physical presence and offensive punch for the NHL
's New York Islanders
during their four-year run as Stanley Cup
champions. In a career that spanned 958 games, Gillies notched 319 goals, 378 assists, and 1023 penalty minutes. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 2002.
. In 1974, Gillies and the Pats
won the Memorial Cup
. Later that year, the Islanders
made him their first round selection in the NHL draft, taking him 4th overall. Gillies would also be selected by the World Hockey Association
's Edmonton Oilers
in the WHA draft, but Gillies signed with the Islanders, making the team right out of training camp. It was during his rookie season of 1974–1975 in the playoffs that Gillies established himself as one of the toughest players in the NHL
, pummeling Philadelphia Flyers
enforcer
Dave Schultz.
Gillies scored over 30 goals for four straight seasons as part of the "Trio Grande
", the Islanders'
top forward line with Mike Bossy
and Bryan Trottier
, and was named to the NHL's All-Star team twice.
In the latter half of the 1976-77 NHL season
, Gillies was named team captain; however, in spite of Gillies' articulate speaking manner and amiable nature, he never felt completely comfortable as team captain and it affected his play adversely in big games. Gillies captained the Islanders through two big disappointments in his two year stint as captain, in part because the Islanders appeared to lack a team toughness. During the pre-season of the 1979–1980 season Gillies allowed Denis Potvin
to take over as captain.
During the 1980 playoffs, Gillies got the best of Terry O'Reilly
, one of the Boston Bruins'
toughest players, several times, helping to fuel the Islanders' drive to the Stanley Cup
. Gillies was used during this series as the Islander's chief protector and enforcer, and in taking on this role, Gillies allowed his team to battle through a violent series with the Bruins. Gillies, now totally comfortable with his role with the team, prospered individually and collectively, as the Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups during Gillies' tenure.
Gillies was an enforcer, but he was also a solid skater, possessed a great shot, passed the puck well, back-checked well, and developed an uncommon hockey savvy through the championship years with the Islanders . Gillies never exceeded 100 penalty minutes during any NHL regular season.
Gillies' swan song may have been during the 1983–1984 playoffs. After struggling through the regular season, he came alive in the playoffs, leading the Stanley Cup runner-ups in scoring for that playoff year.
After scoring only 4 goals in 55 games in 1985–86, Gillies was left unprotected in the NHL
Waiver Draft, and the Buffalo Sabres
picked him up. He wore #90 in Buffalo. Gillies retired after playing a season and a half with the Sabres. On December 7, 1996, Gillies' #9 was retired by the Islanders
. In 2002 Gillies was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
Despite having the same last name and playing for the same team, Clark Gillies is not related to Islanders enforcer Trevor Gillies
.
In 1982 Gillies and three teammates — Bob Nystrom
, Wayne Merrick
, and Gordie Lane
— stripped to their briefs in the February issue of Penthouse magazine for a fashion layout promoting the latest in men's underwear.
Gillies' nephew Colton
currently plays for the Minnesota Wild
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. He provided both physical presence and offensive punch for the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
during their four-year run as Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champions. In a career that spanned 958 games, Gillies notched 319 goals, 378 assists, and 1023 penalty minutes. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 2002.
Playing career
Gillies earned his tough-guy reputation in the Canadian Junior leagues, earning 570 penalty minutes in 201 games with the Regina PatsRegina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
. In 1974, Gillies and the Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
won the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
. Later that year, the Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
made him their first round selection in the NHL draft, taking him 4th overall. Gillies would also be selected by the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
's Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the WHA draft, but Gillies signed with the Islanders, making the team right out of training camp. It was during his rookie season of 1974–1975 in the playoffs that Gillies established himself as one of the toughest players in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, pummeling Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
enforcer
Enforcer (hockey)
Enforcer is an unofficial role in ice hockey. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "fighter", "tough guy", or "goon". NHL players regarded as enforcers include Tiger Williams, Tony Twist, Bob Probert, Dave Semenko, Dave Schultz, Tie Domi, Dave Brown, Joey Kocur, Clark Gillies, Stu Grimson,...
Dave Schultz.
Gillies scored over 30 goals for four straight seasons as part of the "Trio Grande
The Trio Grande
The Trio Grande was a line of professional ice hockey forwards who played together for the New York Islanders from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. The line consisted of Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier at center, Clark Gillies at left wing and Mike Bossy at right wing.-Background:All three...
", the Islanders'
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
top forward line with Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
and Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier
Bryan John Trottier is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the...
, and was named to the NHL's All-Star team twice.
In the latter half of the 1976-77 NHL season
1976-77 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, Gillies was named team captain; however, in spite of Gillies' articulate speaking manner and amiable nature, he never felt completely comfortable as team captain and it affected his play adversely in big games. Gillies captained the Islanders through two big disappointments in his two year stint as captain, in part because the Islanders appeared to lack a team toughness. During the pre-season of the 1979–1980 season Gillies allowed Denis Potvin
Denis Potvin
Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...
to take over as captain.
During the 1980 playoffs, Gillies got the best of Terry O'Reilly
Terry O'Reilly
Terence Joseph James O'Reilly is a retired ice hockey right winger, who played for the NHL's Boston Bruins, and one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history....
, one of the Boston Bruins'
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
toughest players, several times, helping to fuel the Islanders' drive to the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Gillies was used during this series as the Islander's chief protector and enforcer, and in taking on this role, Gillies allowed his team to battle through a violent series with the Bruins. Gillies, now totally comfortable with his role with the team, prospered individually and collectively, as the Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups during Gillies' tenure.
Gillies was an enforcer, but he was also a solid skater, possessed a great shot, passed the puck well, back-checked well, and developed an uncommon hockey savvy through the championship years with the Islanders . Gillies never exceeded 100 penalty minutes during any NHL regular season.
Gillies' swan song may have been during the 1983–1984 playoffs. After struggling through the regular season, he came alive in the playoffs, leading the Stanley Cup runner-ups in scoring for that playoff year.
After scoring only 4 goals in 55 games in 1985–86, Gillies was left unprotected in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Waiver Draft, and the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
picked him up. He wore #90 in Buffalo. Gillies retired after playing a season and a half with the Sabres. On December 7, 1996, Gillies' #9 was retired by the Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In 2002 Gillies was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
Despite having the same last name and playing for the same team, Clark Gillies is not related to Islanders enforcer Trevor Gillies
Trevor Gillies
Trevor Gillies is a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the New York Islanders organization of the National Hockey League . Gillies is primarily used as an enforcer.-Playing career:...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1971–72 | Regina Pats Regina Pats The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:... |
WCHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
68 | 31 | 48 | 79 | 199 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 49 | ||
| 1972–73 | Regina Pats | WCHL | 68 | 40 | 52 | 92 | 197 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 34 | ||
| 1973–74 | Regina Pats | WCHL | 65 | 46 | 66 | 112 | 179 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 32 | ||
| 1974–75 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
80 | 25 | 22 | 47 | 66 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 36 | ||
| 1975–76 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 34 | 27 | 61 | 96 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 | ||
| 1976–77 | New York Islanders | NHL | 70 | 33 | 22 | 55 | 93 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 15 | ||
| 1977–78 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 35 | 50 | 85 | 76 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | ||
| 1978–79 | New York Islanders | NHL | 75 | 35 | 56 | 91 | 68 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ||
| 1979–80 | New York Islanders* | NHL | 73 | 19 | 35 | 54 | 49 | 21 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 63 | ||
| 1980–81 | New York Islanders* | NHL | 80 | 33 | 45 | 78 | 99 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 28 | ||
| 1981–82 | New York Islanders* | NHL | 79 | 38 | 39 | 77 | 75 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 34 | ||
| 1982–83 | New York Islanders* | NHL | 70 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 76 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1983–84 | New York Islanders | NHL | 76 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 65 | 21 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 19 | ||
| 1984–85 | New York Islanders | NHL | 54 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 73 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 1985–86 | New York Islanders | NHL | 55 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 55 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1986–87 | Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
NHL | 61 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 25 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 51 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | ||
| NHL totals | 958 | 319 | 378 | 697 | 1023 | 164 | 47 | 47 | 94 | 287 | ||||
- *Stanley Cup champion
In 1982 Gillies and three teammates — Bob Nystrom
Bob Nyström
Robert Thore Nystrom is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1986. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup...
, Wayne Merrick
Wayne Merrick
Leonard Wayne Merrick is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 774 career National Hockey League games for the St...
, and Gordie Lane
Gord Lane
Gordon Thomas Lawrence Lane is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Lane played junior in the WCHL, first with the Brandon Wheat Kings and after a trade with the New Westminster Bruins...
— stripped to their briefs in the February issue of Penthouse magazine for a fashion layout promoting the latest in men's underwear.
Gillies' nephew Colton
Colton Gillies
Colton Gillies is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Wild in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft...
currently plays for the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.