Dix Hills Ice Rink Named For Islanders Legend Clark Gillies

DIX HILLS, NY — Dix Hills Ice Rink was renamed the Clark Gillies Arena at Dix Hills Park in honor of the late legendary New York Islanders hockey player on Saturday.

Members of the Islanders — current, former and royalty — attended the ceremony in honor of their former teammate, friend, or someone they have revered as a member of the franchise.

Prominent Islanders attending the event included team co-owner Jon Ledecky and forwards Anders Lee, Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, and Josh Bailey; as well as Gillies' former teammates, Butch Goring, Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine, Pat Flatley, Bobby Bourne, Richie Hansen, and Mike Hordy; and former Islanders Shawn Bates and Steve Webb.

Also in attendance were Mike Eruzione, Gold Medal captain of Team USA for the 1980 Winter Olympics, Dan Jansen, Gold Medal Olympic speed skater, and Mark Rypien of the Washington Redskins.

Clark Gillies played for the New York Islanders from 1974 to 1986, serving as team captain from 1977 and 1979 and playing a vital role in the team’s four consecutive Stanley Cup victories from 1980 to 1983.

Gillies died on Jan. 21 at the age of 67.

Gillies was also a beloved resident of Greenlawn and a well-known philanthropist, who, through the Clark Gillies Foundation, helped established the Pediatric Emergency Unit at Huntington Hospital.

The Clark Gillies Foundation donated $3 million to Huntington Hospital to establish a state-of-the-art pediatric emergency department staffed and equipped to meet the medical needs of children. This pediatric emergency department, along with the entire Huntington Hospital Pediatric Unit, has been named after Gillies and his foundation in honor of his repeated charitable contributions.

Town of Huntington Councilmembers Joan Cergol and Salvatore Ferro introduced the resolution to rename Dix Hills Ice Rink in Gillies' honor at the March 15 Huntington Town Board meeting, where it was unanimously approved.

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