Clark Gillies of the Islanders skates in game against the Bruins at the Boston Garden circa 1980s. Credit: NHLI via Getty Images/Steve Babineau
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pat Calabria covered the Islanders for Newsday from 1975-85. The following are excerpts from a story he wrote that was published in Newsday on Oct.12, 1986, a few days after Clark Gillies was left unprotected in the NHL waiver draft and claimed by the Buffalo Sabres.
The Islanders came of age May 9, 1975. Clark Gillies made sure of that. He did it with his bare hands.
Gillies fought and bloodied Dave Schultz, the NHL villain of his time, in a playoff game the Islanders had to win.