Islanders Legend Clark Gillies Dead At 67

New York Islanders legend Clark Gillies has passed away at the age of 67. A specific cause of death has not been announced.

The Islanders selected Gillies with the fourth-overall pick of the 1974 NHL Entry Draft. He certainly lived up to being an early first-round pick during his excellent tenure with the team. Over 12 seasons with the Islanders, he had 304 goals, 359 assists, 663 points, and 891 penalty minutes in 872 total games. During his time with the team, he also played a major role in all four of their Stanley Cup championships. He also served as the team's captain from 1977 to 1979 and had his No. 9 retired in 1996.

Gillies didn't finish his career with the Islanders, however. During his final two seasons in the league, he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. With them, he had 15 goals and 19 assists in 86 games.

Gillies will always be remembered as an Islander, of course. It's where he cemented his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Furthermore, as Gary Bettman said in his statement following the tragic news, he was the beginning of power forwards in the NHL.

Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the passing of Hockey Hall of Fame member Clark Gillies. pic.twitter.com/K7PbmRiv56
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 22, 2022