New York Islanders

By TERRY LYONS

Clark Gillies, an NHL Hall of Fame winger and one of the great New York Islanders players of all-time, passed away on Friday night, January 21 at the age of 67. His story is as amazing as the ‘69 Mets, as entertaining as the “Dr. J” Nets and as important to the fans of the glory-years New York Islanders as any story that can be told.

It is the story of the strongest piece to be placed in the foundation of an expansion NHL franchise. It is the story of a young man from Western Canada finding a new home on Long Island, New York and his return to that new home, even after serving his last two NHL seasons in Buffalo. Sadly, it is a story with a very unhappy ending, one that came quite suddenly to those who just saw him at Christmas 2021.

Let the story book dissolve and fade, as the calendar pages turn back in time.

On November 8, 1971, the National Hockey League awarded an expansion franchise to play at the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island. The team – to be known as the New York Islanders – would join the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association as primary tenants of ‘The Coliseum” The Islanders and the Atlanta Flames joined the NHL and played each other on opening night, October 7, 1972.

The Islanders lost, 3-2, with team captain Eddie Westfall scoring the team’s first goal and hot shot rookie draftee Billy Harris netting the second. Isles’ goalkeeper Gerry Desjardins took the loss. I remember it all because I can state proudly – I was there.

The expansion New York Islanders had a few pieces in place from the expansion draft and the wise choice of Harris, the No. 1 overall pick of the 1972 NHL amateur draft from the Toronto Marlboros. Harris and the highly respected Westfall, gobbled-up in the dispersal draft from the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins, were joined by fan favorites like Terry Crisp, Brian “Spinner” Spencer, defenseman Gerry Hart and a handful of others who weren’t ready for primetime NHL minutes.

There were only two foundational pieces in place that first year. The back-up goal-keeper was a young Billy Smith, a fifth round draft choice of the Los Angeles Kings in 1970 and team General Manager Bill Torrey who had signed as GM on February 14, 1972 getting an upgrade in title from that of the California Golden Seals. Happy Valentine’s Day, New York Islanders, little did we all know.

The Islanders struggled mightily as an expansion franchise, going 12-60-6 in their first year. That qualifies as the ninth worst start for a team in NHL history but it did earn the right to choose first in the 1973 amateur draft and the astute Torrey turned down many an offer for money and veteran players to select defenseman Denis Potvin with the No. 1 overall pick. Torrey also coaxed St. Louis Blues coach and former NHL defenseman Al Arbour to become the Islanders’ head coach.

A year later, Torrey scored again. With the No. 4 and No. 22 picks in the 1974 NHL amateur draft, the Islanders selected Clark Gillies, a 6-3, 210 pound left wing from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan at No. 4 and 5-11, 195 pound center Bryan Trottier, hailing from Val Marie, Saskatchewan, at No. 22, a second-rounder that every team had a chance to pick.

Fast forward to 1975 and the Islanders upset the New York Rangers in the first-round of the NHL Playoffs, went down 0-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round but managed to come back to take the series, the first time since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs for a team to accomplish the feat. The Islanders nearly repeated the miracle against the Philadelphia Broad Street Bullies Flyers in the third round Stanley Cup semi-finals, but fell short in Game 7.

The Islanders needed one or two more pieces, addressing the need for more scoring, some second-line depth and another solid defenseman or two. In 1977, the scoring issue was checked-off when Torrey used the No. 15 pick to select Michel “Mike” Bossy, arguably among the greatest scorers and snipers in league history.

The next season, Trottier would play center with Bossy on his right and Gillies on his left to form one of the great lines of all-time. Potvin paired with his brother, Jean, or with the steady Dave Lewis and Smith anchored the goalkeeping duties, combined with amazing performances by Glenn ‘Chico” Resch. The foundation for a Stanley Cup champion was in place.

In three short seasons since expansion mayhem, the Islanders were competitive. In eight years, they became an NHL dynasty, reeling-off four Cup victories in a row. A team that was dropped in our laps as Long Island hockey fans allowed us to sing “We ARE the Champions” at the top of our lungs from 1980-to-1984.

When we played Street Hockey on the asphalt school yards, you’d be asked, “Who do you want to be?”

This columnist went to Gerry Cosby’s sporting goods store and had a road, royal blue Islanders jersey affixed with No. 9 for Clark Gillies. I wore it everyday. Every single day when we played on the streets, in the parks, on the cement of ice hockey rinks in the heat of summer.

I was Clark Gillies, growing tall, with some size and a wicked left-handed wrist shot. The only thing Gillies did a thousand times better than i could ever dream of was FIGHT, and fight he did against the toughest enforcers in the NHL. Philly’s Dave Schultz, Behn Wilson of the Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks or the epic playoff fights between Gillies and Boston’s Terry O’Reilly.

This is the fight Gillies had in mind:

It’s important to note, Gillies was NOT an NHL “goon” as he scored 30 or more goals in a season six times and scored 47 playoff goals with 46 assists in his 12 year career which concluded in 1986-87 and 1987-88 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres.

More importantly, Gillies, the native of Western Canada, became an Islander forever and returned to his Long Island digs after his career, bringing up his family and enjoying life with an occasional golf outing and return to the Nassau Coliseum or helping the team open its brand new UBS Arena, near Belmont.

The Islander roots are deep as Gillies’ daughter, Brianna, married the son of one of his best friends’ (NYI center Bob Bourne) son in Justin Bourne.Gillies frequently made appearances and raised money for Islanders great Pat LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage charity but his own charity work funded Huntington (LI) Hospital’s Pediatric unit and emergency room to the tune of a $2 million check to get started and frequent fund-raising efforts of $50,000+ all to help the children of Long Island. (Please see Clark Gillies Foundation).

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Jim Johnson, Holy Trinity High School ‘76 and a former member of the New York Islanders’ front office staff, now runs the Companions in Courage Foundation along with his friend in NHL Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine. Over the last decade or more, the Islanders insiders raised millions of dollars for charity, much of it going to help children. Johnson can express the feelings of many of us better than any of us.

“The tributes are pouring in from the hockey world and from an adopted community that Clark Gillies made his home,” wrote Johnson, an accomplished scribe. “But the shock and grief have yet to set in. Even if you only met him once, he made you feel like you had been a friend for life. Clark Gillies had that kind of impact on all of us.

(Left to right): Jim Johnson, Clark Gillies, Pat LaFontaine.

“Some of us just saw him around Christmas, and he was laughing and dancing, seemingly without a care in the world. He was one of those guys who embraced life and stared down any obstacle that might arise. He once told a friend that he had culled the cutest filly from the herd, and that’s how he married Pam. They had three beautiful daughters who made him a grandpa several times over.

“The hockey world is mourning the loss of a guy nicknamed “Jethro,”(dubbed that because of his resemblance to the big, goofy son of Jed Clampett in the ‘60s-70s TV comedy The Beverly Hillbillies). They remember the fierce fighter who never lost a fight until (Friday) night. They remember him riding shotgun on the famed “Trio Grande Line” with Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier. Maybe they remember the image of him crushing a beer can on his head on the center-ice scoreboard at last year’s playoffs. Rangers fans will no doubt remember his one-punch throw down with Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar, and Bruins fans will reflect on the heroic actions of Clarkie and Terry O’Reilly in the 1980 semi-finals.

“But some had an extra special bond with Clarkie that was something completely different. Yes, we all knew the ferocity that the man represented, but it was his kindness and adoption of our town as his own that made the friendship so special. Plus, he was one of the funniest bastards we’ve ever met.

“I often talk about how the most important reason why you want a pro sports franchise in your neighborhood is not necessarily to win championships (though those four straight Cups didn’t hurt!). Rather, it’s the athletes who become a part of the fabric of the community where they play. The Islanders introduced guys from Hinton, Alberta; Waterford, Michigan; Peterborough, Ontario; and yes, even Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (where’s Moose Jaw? 6 feet from the moose’s ass!) to this lovely little island we call home. We were all so lucky that guys like Bob Nystrom, Pat LaFontaine, Steve Webb and Clark Gillies came here and stayed.

“Clarkie loved kids, and he has raised more than one million dollars to support Huntington Hospital. If you’ve never visited the pediatric wing and the “Cub Room” he built in that facility, you should do yourself a favor. As I’ve heard more than one hospital administrator say, “this is such a great idea. Why did it take a hockey player to come up with it?”

“We had a running gag at the CiC Golf dinner. How many standing ovations could we get for Clark in one night? I’m really proud that we got it to NINE this year. A personal favorite moment was the night Pat LaFontaine honored Clark for all of his charitable work in the community. He cried when we presented him the plaque. The big tough S.O.B. was such a soft touch when it came to helping kids.

“So, we’ll process the grief over the next few days and weeks over the loss of this very special friend. We’ll get together and share our own stories of how he impacted our lives, and we’ll cherish every one of them. We’ll celebrate a life that helped make us all just a little bit better. RIP, big fella – until we all skate again on that big negative-edge pond in heaven. Save us a spot “in the room” #9,” concluded Johnson.

BRIAN “SPINNER” SPENCER: Mentioned in the story of our beloved Clark Gillies and the New York Islanders was another Long Island fan favorite in Brian “Spinner” Spencer, who played in 11 NHL seasons from 1969-70 to 1978-79. … If you haven’t heard about it, his career story is incredible, unbelievable but sad. … In December of 1970 when Spinner was called-up to play his first NHL game, he called his father, Roy, who was in his hometown of Ft. St. James, British Columbia to tell him the good news and that he’d be on TV for “Hockey Night in Canada” that weekend. A very serious problem arose when a Vancouver Canucks vs California Golden Seals game was aired by the western affiliates of CBC instead of Spencer’s Toronto Maple Leafs eastern game. Spencer’s father – upset by the programming selection – drove 84 miles to Prince George where he ordered the production crew and staff at the station to air the Maple Leafs game. He did so at gunpoint and, although the station complied with his wishes, when Roy Spencer exited the TV station, the Royal Canadien Mounted Police confronted him and he was shot and killed on the spot. … As time went by, Brian Spencer had a decent NHL career, being a fan fave who loved to mix-it-up. His best seasons came with the Buffalo Sabres (1974-75 to 1976-77) and he labored for another few years, eventually finishing-up in the American Hockey League, playing 30 games in 1979-80 with the Hershey Bears. … After his hockey career was over, he turned to crime, violence, alcohol abuse and was arrested for kidnapping and murder in 1987. He was jailed and faced the death penalty. believe it or not, this reporter and Spencer became “pen pals” of sorts that year, while he was in jail awaiting trial. I wrote to say he could take pride in the fact those expansion Islanders games he played in meant a lot to a whole new generation of hockey fans, and that no matter what trouble he was in, he could smile that night, knowing he played a role. … His return letters were incredibly well-written, perfect penmanship by hand, always very appreciative and on-point – the subject matter only about hockey. He did not ask for a thing, but I sent some letterhead, envelopes and stamps. In his last letter, he assured me he was innocent and that he was hopeful he would be declared so and set free after a fair trial. At his trial, many of his former NHL teammates testified and the jury returned a NOT guilty verdict. … Despite the acquittal, Spencer returned to a life of crime and drug abuse and was shot dead in a crack cocaine purchase gone bad in Florida. He died on June 3, 1988 at the young age of 38.

CBS SPORTS: CBS Sports colleague Bob Fishman is calling it a career as one of the top remote, live sports directors of our time. The late Sandy Grossman and Fishman televised NFL, NBA and college basketball games for a generation of sports fans, both foregoing any chance to be at home on a weekend for decades at a time. Fishman will retire after the NCAA Final Four, marking 50 years at CBS Sports.