Flowers were placed in front of Clark Gillies’ plaque on the Islanders’ Wall of Fame and there was a touching pre-game tribute to the late Hall of Famer prior to Saturday night’s game against the Maple Leafs at UBS Arena.
It started with a photo montage accompanied by fans’ messages via Twitter. An emotional video ended with "9 In Our Hearts Forever." The crowd responded with a "Gil-lies, Gil-lies chant," before a moment of a silence.
Plus, the Islanders announced they would wear a "No. 9" patch on their jerseys the rest of the season.
The fan-favorite Gillies passed away on Friday at the age of 67, news that was made public immediately after the Islanders beat the visiting Coyotes, 4-0.