After warmups, a video montage was played on the scoreboard featuring photos of Gillies at various Islanders functions to "In My Life" by The Beatles.
Another video tribute was shown prior to the Canadian and U.S. national anthems. The starting lineups from each team backed away from the blue lines to get a better look.
Gillies was entrenched in the Long Island community during his playing career and after. He began The Clark Gillies Foundation, a non-profit corporation developed to help children who are physically, developmentally and/or financially challenged. The goal of the foundation is to improve the quality of life; and 100 percent of proceeds go directly to people in need.
The Huntington Hospital Pediatric Unit was named after Gillies and his foundation, which raised $1 million to help fund its construction. The Foundation continued its association with Huntington Hospital after it created Brianna's Cub room within the Clark Gillies Pediatric Unit and by creating the Clark Gillies Pediatric Emergency Room which is staffed and equipped specifically for children.