Dix Hills Ice Rink Renamed the Clark Gillies Arena

For all the places Clark Gillies' name is plastered around Long Island, it was curious that a hockey rink was not one of them.
After all, Gillies was a Hockey Hall of Famer and a core piece of the New York Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty, playing 872 games with the franchise from 1974-86.
That changed on Saturday, as the Dix Hills Ice Rink was officially renamed the Clark Gillies Arena in honor of the late Islanders legend, who
passed away in January
.

"I can say with 100% certainty that Clark would have been so proud of this honor that you have bestowed on him," Pam Gillies, Clark's wife, said in a speech. "I cannot tell you how happy Clark would have been to know that future generations of figure skaters and hockey players will be learning the game that he loved in a rink bearing his name."
Pam Gillies unveiled the new logo at center ice, which featured Clark's number nine and a pair of crossed hockey sticks. In addition to renaming the arena, the Islanders raised a Clark Gillies banner, meaning his number will always have a place in the rink. As a special touch on Saturday, both scoreboards only showed the number nine and a framed Gillies jersey was also hung on the wall in the rink.

"I think it's fantastic," Bob Nystrom said of the rink dedication. "There's no question that young kids should see that name hanging over them because he was an all-star. He did a lot for these youngsters and for their families and it's a heck of a way to give him the recognition that he deserves."
The rink was packed for the ceremony, full of fans, family, the Huntington town officials who led the renaming initiative, as well as first responders and who's who of Islanders past and present. In addition to Nystrom, John Tonelli, Pat LaFontaine, Ed Westfall, Patrick Flatley and Duane Sutter helped represent the old guard, while Anders Lee, Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, Josh Bailey and Co-Owner Jon Ledecky represented the current group of Islanders.
Martin gave a moving speech, recounting the first time he'd met Gillies, cracking a few jokes about Gillies' longwinded jokes and musical talents at a golf outing. After getting a few laughs, Martin spoke about the impact Gillies' charitable nature had on his life. Martin started his own foundation - the Matt Martin Foundation - after seeing what a difference The Clark Gillies Foundation had made in the community.
"There will never be another Clark Gillies, but if we could all strive to be a little more like him, this world would be a much better place," Martin said.
Martin sounded emotional towards the end of his speech, recounting the three things Gillies loved:
"His family, helping kids and the New York Islanders," Martin said.

Gillies' impact on Long Island went far beyond winning four Stanley Cups. He was a fixture in the community long after his playing days and his philanthropic work was just as celebrated as his 663 points. Kris Amplo, who sits on the Board of Directors for The Clark Gillies Foundation, called his Gillies work with his foundation as the defining years of his life.
The foundation touched many lives, granting over $3.5M for charities and initiatives to help children. Most notably, Gillies' foundation donated over $1M to the Huntington Hospital pediatric unit, which was renamed the Clark Gillies Pediatric Unit in his honor, but there are countless examples.
"We named this rink in Clark's honor to serve as a constant reminder that Huntington is better because Clark Gillies was here," Town of Huntington Councilwoman Joan Cergol said.
Councilman Salvatore Ferro relayed a chat he'd had with LaFontaine, where LaFontaine said even the geographical placement of the Clark Gillies Arena was significant. Dix Hills is in the heart of Long Island and Gillies was also part of the heart of Long Island.

Saturday
marked another chance for Long Island to pay tribute
to the beloved hockey player and philanthropist and the outpouring of love was just as strong as it was in the days after Gillies passed.
Nassau County had previously lit up
the Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building blue and orange in honor of Gillies back in February, but Saturday's rink dedication will be a more permanent tribute. That was important to Nystrom, who said it was important that the name live on, long after the man.
"We hope that people that have been a part of some of the events that he's done will share that with their youngsters and even sharing his ability on the hockey rink," Nystrom said. "Never let his name fade away. That's the best way you can recognize him."