Hockey Hall of Famer and Islanders great Clark Gillies dead at 67

Legendary NHL forward Clark Gillies has passed away at the age of 67, the New York Islanders announced on Friday.

A member of an Islanders dynasty that won four Stanley Cups in a row in the 1980s, Gillies earned a nomination to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002 after an iconic 14-year NHL career. A cause of death has not been disclosed at this time.

"The entire Islanders community is devastated by the loss of Clark Gillies," Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello said. "He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander."

The fourth-overall pick in the 1974 draft, Gillies spent 12 of his 14 seasons with the Islanders, two of them as the team's captain. He was a member of a New York squad that won 19 consecutive playoff series — a mark that is still a record today. The Moose Jaw, Sask., native finished his career with the Buffalo Sabres in 1988.

"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Clark Gillies, a tower of strength on the ice for the dynastic New York Islanders of the early 1980s and a pillar of the Long Island community ever since," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said via a release, adding that "Gillies helped define the term 'power forward'" during his career.

Gillies ended his career with 319 goals and 697 points over 958 regular-season games. He's still among the Islanders' top-five players in games played, goals scored, assists and points. The team retired his No. 9 jersey in 1996.

"The adoration and admiration of his teammates reflected the heart and passion he brought to our game," Bettman said of Gillies in his press release.

Off the ice, Gillies was an engaged community member and philanthropist, starting the Clark Gillies Foundation, which helps children who are physically, developmentally or financially challenged.

"The pride he felt wearing the Islanders sweater on the ice was evident by his willingness to do anything to win," reads the Islanders' statement. "Off the ice, he was just as big of a presence, always taking the time to give back to the local community."

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