TUESDAY COMMENTARY – REMEMBERING CLARK GILLIES

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 FM & Rock 98.5 FM)

TODAY WE HONOUR THE LIFE OF CLARK GILLIES.

CLARK PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK AT AGE 67 AFTER A QUICK BATTLE WITH PANCREATIC CANCER. HE WAS ON OUR TV SHOW ONLY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND WAS HIS USUAL GREGARIOUS SELF.

AS A FOUR-TIME STANLEY CUP WINNER WITH THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS AND HOCKEY HALL OF FAMER, GILLIES WAS SUITABLY HONOURED PRIOR TO SATURDAY’S ISLANDERS HOME GAME AGAINST TORONTO.

FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THOSE IN ATTENDANCE, THERE WASN’T A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE.

UNFORTUNATELY THE REGINA PATS HAVEN’T HAD A HOME GAME SINCE CLARK’S PASSING BUT I KNOW ON TUESDAY NIGHT, HE’LL GET A TRIBUTE SUITABLE FOR THE KING HE WAS.

AS THE VOICE OF THE PATS FOR 15 SEASONS, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME AROUND CLARK AT VARIOUS ALUMNI EVENTS.

HE’S TOLD THE STORY MANY TIMES OF SIGNING WITH THE PATS OUT OF MOOSE JAW IN 1971. HE WAS NEVER A FIGHTER BEFORE THAT, BUT AFTER DUKING IT UP IN HIS FIRST GAME, AND WINNING, HE CALLED HIS DAD AFTERWARDS AND EXCLAIMED THAT HE’S GONNA LIKE THE WHL.

AND THE DUB LIKED CLARK. OF COURSE HE WAS A KEY MEMBER OF THE FABLED 1974 PATS MEMORIAL CUP TEAM AND HE OFTEN TOLD ME HE CHERISHED THAT CHAMPIONSHIP EVERY BIT AS MUCH AS HIS FOUR STANLEY CUPS.

I REMEMBER STARING AT THAT TEAM PHOTO IN THE PATS OFFICE ONE DAY ALONGSIDE COACH TIM TISDALE. TIZZY JOKED, “BACK ROW — CLARK GILLIES.”

A HULKING FIGURE, INDEED. EVEN IN JUNIOR.

BEING SUCH A FAN OF CLARK IN HIS JUNIOR AND PRO DAYS, IT WAS AN HONOUR TO SERVE AS THE EMCEE THE NIGHT WE RETIRED CLARK’S #9 WITH THE PATS IN THE AGRIDOME. HE RODE AROUND THE ICE IN A CONVERTIBLE, WAVING TO THE CROWD AS “THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN” BLARED OVER THE SPEAKERS.

WE DID SEVERAL INTERVIEWS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING ONE ABOUT CLARK NOT WEARING A HELMET FOR MOST OF HIS 15-YEAR NHL CAREER. HE ADMITTED HE’D ONLY BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD ONCE, AND IT WAS BY HIS OWN TEAMMATE BY ACCIDENT.

THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT PLAYERS RESPECTED EACH OTHER MUCH MORE IN THE 70’S AND 80’S THAN THEY DO NOW.

THE LOSS OF CLARK HIT US ALL VERY HARD, BUT NONE MORE THAN HIS FAMILY WHO LOVINGLY CALLED HIM THEIR “HERO”.

WHAT’S GNAWING AT ME THE MOST IS CLARK INVITED ME DOWN TO THE BRAND NEW UBS ARENA ON LONG ISLAND AND HE PROMISED A NIGHT IN A LUXURY SUITE AND LOTS MORE STORYTELLING.

BUT I NEVER MADE IT HAPPEN.

WHEN I DO, I KNOW CLARK WILL BE RIGHT THERE WITH ME.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call you cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live and listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)