Islanders 1980s dynasty star and Hall of Famer Clark Gillies dies at 67

The time is 11:51 PM.

Gillies was a member of the New York Islanders' dynasty that won four straight Stanley Cup titles. He died at 67.

The entire Islanders community is devastated by the loss of Gillies, according to the team president and general manager. The cause of death was not given by the team.

He epitomized what it means to be a New York Islander. The pride he felt wearing the Islanders sweater on the ice was evident by his willingness to do anything to win.

He was always giving back to the local community and was just as big of a presence off the ice. The New York Islanders have four Stanley Cups because of the sacrifice made by the members of those dynasty teams.

Gillies had 319 goals and 378 assists in 958 games with the Islanders and Buffalo Sabres. He scored over 300 goals in his career with New York and is fourth on the franchise list in points and fifth in assists. He had 47 goals and 46 assists in 159 playoff games, one of 17 players on the team that won the four Cups from 1980 to 1983 and an NHL-record 19 consecutive postseason series.

The Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002 honored the man who had his No. 9 retired by the Islanders in 1996.

Gillies was a popular figure around the franchise after his retirement. During the playoffs last year, Gillies was shown on the video board chugging a beer and crushing a can against his head, which was dubbed "Jethro" after a character from "The Beverly Hillbillies".

He was a player that I always admired. Barry Trotz said that he cared about the community and the Islanders as a person. He was willing to go above and beyond to make sure that the fans and the team got to the next level.

He was very fond of the current group of Islanders players.

It was a great experience to run into Clark, captain Lee said. He was a big fan of Islanders hockey. My heart goes out to his family, his friends, and the people he has touched since he arrived on the Island. It's a sad day.

He epitomizes everything that the New York Islanders are. He walks into a room and is charismatic. When I met him for the first time, I always thought he was who I wanted to be when I grow up.

The Clark Gillies Foundation was started to support children who have been challenged. Gillies' foundation helped raise $1 million for the construction of the children's unit at Huntington Hospital.