Gillies, per hockeyfights.com, has 240 fights on his record in North America and four more in one year with the KHL’s Vityaz Chekov through 17 years of professional experience. 2010-2011 was his most extended stay in the NHL, playing 39 games for the New York Islanders, registering two goals, nine fights, and 165 PIMs. He’s been suspended from multiple leagues, multiple times.
More player signings are expected in the coming weeks, but this one sticks out as a noted effort to bring established grit to North Charleston. For a fighter who has tangled with the likes of Shawn Thorton, Jared Boll, Cam Janssen, and Matt Carkner, Stingrays fans can expect fights to come to him as the season marches on.