More than four and a half years after Clark Gillies died, the Islanders legend’s name is still attached to something that keeps getting bigger.
The Clark Gillies Foundation staged its annual Golf Invitational this week, drawing Islanders alumni, NHL legends and supporters for a two-day fundraiser built around a celebrity reception, dinner and golf at Huntington Crescent Club and Indian Hills Country Club.
The foundation, which Gillies started in 1998, helps children and families dealing with extraordinary challenges by offering financial, developmental and emotional support. What began as one player’s effort to give back has turned into a long-running charitable force across Long Island.
For Gillies’ family, the continued momentum has meant a great deal.
"We're just so happy that it's continuing," Pam Gillies told Newsday's Ben Dickson. "We thought maybe after Clark passed it would kind of die down, but it's only gotten bigger actually. And everybody loved him, of course."
Long before he created his own foundation, Gillies was already spending time volunteering with a range of charitable organizations. At some point, he decided he wanted to build something permanent - something rooted in his own community and able to keep helping well into the future.
That decision is still paying off more than 25 years later.
Butch Goring, Gillies’ former Islanders teammate, said showing up for the foundation is one way to keep Gillies’ spirit alive.
"I think if everybody had half as much compassion as Clark Gillies had for kids and trying to help them out, the world would be a better place," Goring told Newsday. "I'm here to support him, and I miss him dearly. But this is my way of remembering him."
Gillies’ hockey resume already guaranteed him a permanent place in Islanders history and the Hockey Hall of Fame. The foundation has added another layer to that legacy, making sure his impact is remembered not just for Stanley Cups, but for the people his work continues to help.
In Other News...
Mathieu Darche May Be Closing In On Another Major Islanders Addition
A new front-office move could be taking shape for the Islanders as Mathieu Darche continues to reshape the organization around a more modern hockey-operations model. Veteran reporter Mark Divver reported that a respected executive from the Bruins front office could be in line to join the club once his current contract runs out on Aug. 1, a detail that suggests the Islanders may not be done adding experience behind the scenes.
The potential hire would bring a rsum built on salary-cap planning, contract work and broader roster strategy, the kind of background that can matter as much in todays NHL as any move on the ice. He was also a finalist for senior jobs with other teams this summer, which only adds to the sense that Darche is targeting someone with real league-wide credibility as the Islanders keep building out their operation. [Read more 🡒]
Peter DeBoer Is Pushing A Familiar Name Toward A Bigger Breakthrough
Joel Wards new job behind the bench in Henderson carries more than the usual first-day buzz. The former NHL forward was named head coach of the Silver Knights, becoming the second Black head coach in AHL history, and it drew a familiar voice of support from Islanders coach Peter DeBoer, who once coached Ward as a player and has long believed he was wired for this kind of transition.
DeBoer said Ward has the potential to keep climbing, pointing to the same traits that made him valuable on the ice and, in DeBoers view, make him a natural fit for coaching. Ward has made it clear he wants to coach in the NHL and believes his years as a player give him something worth passing along, which gives this new opportunity a little extra weight beyond the title on the door. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Fans Will Love Whos Part Of Charas Final Tribute
Zdeno Charas farewell game is shaping up to feel a lot like a reunion tour for Islanders fans who remember his first and last stops on Long Island. The Hockey Hall of Famer will be honored at Zees Final Shift on Aug. 21 at Winter Stadium in Trenn, Slovakia, with a cast of former teammates and other notable players set to take part in the tribute.
For Islanders followers, the appeal goes beyond the ceremony itself. Charas career began with New York in 1997-98 and ended there in the 2021-22 season, bookending a remarkable run that now gets one more spotlight through the names attached to the event. The full guest list adds another layer of nostalgia, and it is the kind of detail that makes this goodbye feel especially tied to the franchises own history. [Read more 🡒]