Clark Gillies

Clark "Jethro" Gillies (April 7, 1954 - January 21, 2022) was a Canadian professional player and who 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. 
==Playing career==
Gillies earned his tough-guy reputation in the Canadian Junior leagues, earning 570 penalty minutes in 201 games with the Regina Pats. In 1974, Gillies and the Pats won the Memorial Cup. In the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft, the Islanders made him their first round selection, 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 legendary Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Dave Schultz. 
Gillies scored over 30 goals for four straight seasons as part of the "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 1977–1978, 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 is recognized for his role as 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. Unlike many other enforcers, 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 6, 1997, Gillies' #9 was retired by the Islanders. In 2002 Gillies was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1971–72 	Regina Pats 	WCHL 		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 	NHL 		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 	NHL 		61 	10 	17 	27 	81 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1987–88 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 		25 	5 	2 	7 	51 	 	5 	0 	1 	1 	25
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		958 	319 	378 	697 	1023 	 	164 	47 	47 	94 	287
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
* *Stanley Cup Champion
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1954
Category:Buffalo Sabres players
Category:Edmonton Oilers (WHA) draft picks
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers
Category:New York Islanders players
Category:Regina Pats alumni
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:Retired in 1988
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Dead in 2022