TREVOR GILLIES IS BACK
NYI announce another one-year, two-way deal
The Islanders stand by The ‘Stache.
111 Responses to TREVOR GILLIES IS BACK
NYI announce another one-year, two-way deal
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Isles will go out of their way to sign the lesser player, but Konopka doesn’t get signed. I get that Konopka *is* replaceable very easily, but they’d better upgrade instead of making a lateral move.
Oh, and, first.
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Kallur says:
Yippee. They’ll make us think that he’ll only dress for 20 games but he’ll be around all year.
Don’t forget – Garth Snow doesn’t like 2-minute goons.
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NewtownJack says:
Gillies stays and Konopka goes?!!
Un- BELIEVE-able!! But I guess we shouldn’t be surprised by the Islanders decision-making process. -
alan says:
The Mascot has returned.
I’m still waiting for a 1st line winger and a top 4 Dman to walk through the door.
Not holding my breath.
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JimfromStJames says:
every team needs a guy to patrol the press box you know…
I mean the ice you know…he is the perfect 13th foward, doesn’t matter if he does not play for a month.
As for Konopka, my guess is he was vocal about the Wang & Ricky show. too vocal
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Mike P says:
I loved Konopka, he provided great leadership but he is not a heavyweight and he can easily be replaced by a better 4th line center. He scored 2 goals this year, 2 in 82 games. Even Gillies had 2 this year.
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Brian G says:
Let the 2011-12 Cup run begin…
Hopefully he spends 80% of the year at the Bridge. -
jpa says:
We have no idea what could have turned off snow to konopka. he might not have done anything… except be a player with an easily replaced skill set who wanted a one-way contract and a raise. Would rather have Gillies available for 2min of work for the league minimum, than konopka for over a mil, essentially just winning draws. The role of talking up the team can fall on another player.
I liked him, but always wondered why so many were calling for him to be the next captain. Theres a reason there are no 4th line centers wearing the C.. its the same reason they play for a lot of teams: theyre utility players. It wasn’t like he was lighting the lamp or playing 15min every night. Good guy, wish him well.
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IslanderFAN says:
Good Signing! we need someone like Gillies to protect guys like Tavares, my guess with Konopka is that they think he will be replaced by a more skilled player (Free agent or one of the Isles young prospect)
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EdTurner says:
It’s all about how little money can they spend and still hit the bottom of the cap.
There is no other way to explain this.
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Bobby N says:
Love Trevor, hate soft play and fans. Gillies is one of the most entertaining guys in hockey
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James says:
By just having a guy like Gillies on the bench puts the other team on notice. Anyone tries messing with Tavares or Grabner and they’ll have to answer to one of the fiercest fighters in the game.
He’s team guy. You can always sit him and let someone else with skills replace him on the ice. But when you need some chin-checking, I wouldn’t want anyone else stepping on the ice.
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paul says:
He was way too much of a league-wide distraction (justified or not) with no skill to warrant signing again, especially when we could have simply re-signed Konopka. Dislike!!!
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NYI says:
After the Pens game, Gillies is a hero. Show the man respect.
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Not a problem at all with this signing. He is great to have around and a lot of fun to watch. And people need to relax, it is a two-way deal for pete’s sake.
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craigo says:
Gillies and Konopka play two completely different roles on the team.. comparing the signing of one to the other is useless.. gillies will never be a steady 4th line guy or penalty killer.. hes there so the other team knows what will happen if they mess with one of our scorers. Both types of players are replaceable but shouldn’t be compared.
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And.. i like this signing.. i feel like he is one of the most feared guys in the league and he seems to be a great guy to get everybody riled up.. he may only play a few minutes a game but give his shifts everything he has.( sometimes too much though)
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nyifan72 says:
NYI: If Gillies is a hero for hitting a guy from behind and taunting him after he was concussed, we’ve come a long way from Bobby Nystrom. The bar is very low on heroes with the Islanders these days.
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Newman says:
Gillies and Haley are perfect: cheap and on two-ways. Once Konopka got on Ricky Wang’s bad side, he was done.
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blitz says:
Someone please hsow me the evidence that says Travor Gillies, the worst player in the NHL and playing a minute a game, will ever prevent an opponent from running JT. You can’t really believe that, do you?
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Dan says:
The point above about, justified or not, Gillies being a league-wide distraction is 100% right. There are 100 big goons floating around the AHL with the same non-existent skill level as Gillies, that would love this team and being here (and the NHL salary) as much as Gillies does. All this will do is further the current league-wide view that the Islanders are now a team of dirtbags (again..justified or not) and a second tier organization. The signing doesn’t particularly make me mad but there is just better options from a PR standpoint.
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Turgeon1993 says:
Ricky no likely Konopka. He tells Wang and Snow and Weight don’t do anything about it. This is the way things work with Wang’s Islanders. Everyone including the players know this. Have one drink at Social or the Marriott and you can hear the guys laughing about it. Some of the coaches too
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GeneF says:
3 min per game guy. plan the parade. jeeeez
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Jmig15 says:
WooHoo! Best enforcer in league
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Glens says:
Decent signing as far as we need the presence on the bench for protection for JT MG and the rest.But like other’s have said this better not be the end of move’s by GS/CW this summer. Make the move the we all go oh Sh%t wow what a move, something that jump’s off the page at us not another scrap pile pick up.As far as player move’s if anything is going to get done it will be in the next two week’s, next Friday’s draft and of course July 1 ST so lets sit back and see if GS/CW are serious about the TEAM taking that big step next season.
Thats all for now LETS GO ISLANDERS….. -
nyi fan 16 says:
Enforcers are still needed in this game and Trevor is a good one. Glad we are bringing him back. I hope Haley is next.
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Best signing this offseason! by far..
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Thomas says:
I really liked Konopka he will be missed, I don’t think he should get the C or even an A but he is a true team guy and showed some of these younger guys how to stand up for themselves. I would love to know the real reason they are not bringing him back since they turned down trade offers for him right before the deadline.
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Mike says:
I have no idea why the Isles would keep Gillies and not Konopka. Yes Konopka can be replaced but keep in mind he was 4th in the league in faceoff percentage. That is a valuable skill. I don’t see Gillies bringing anything to the table hockey-wise.
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JackB says:
Every team in the league has a goon. The one thing worse than a team that goons it up is the team that won’t goon it back.
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islesrock73 says:
Why all the fuss against Gillies signing? Every team needs a heavyweight, and he is ours. The folks who are complaining, would also complain that the Isles are too small and timid. I liked Konopka, but I think Haley brings the same fighting prowess and he has more talent. I would like to see Isles acquire a big nasty defense men.
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James from Swindles says:
Trevor Gillies looks absolutely nuts. Welcome back.
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Jeff from Smithtown says:
He had 2 goals in 100 minutes of Ice Time that’s a lot netter than Baily ot KO. For All you nay-Sayers I believe he will be At the Draft party . I am sure he will discuss the situation face to face then.
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Mike says:
Would have preferred Konopka, but cannot be upset over Gillies and Haley as our enforcers. Also folks, these are two way contracts, so let’s not too crazy here. Konopka spot probably going to a young guy like Niño. The young kids need some ice time next year.
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Peter says:
I never want to see him in an Islanders jersey again. His behavior last year was disgraceful. Hate this decision.
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claude says:
Non issue . #28 agreeded. A big nasty son of a eff,tear your head off dman.That would be quite lovely.
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Andy says:
I like Gillies, and Konopka. But here’s the thing I don’t get about “tough guys” / “enforcers” — if you have Gillies playing down at the Bridge, and call him up for, say, 10 games a year, what message do you send?
It isn’t like he brings a grinding style a`la Comeau, or a faceoff Swiss Army Knife like Konopka, he just hits players semi-legally and fights.
When you have a game against the Flyers coming up, and you announce you’re calling up a guy like Gillies, you’re basically stating your intention to throw him in to take runs and get penalties. I don’t think you need a player as one-dimensional on a team, as much as I do like Gillies.
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Strummer's Army says:
Don’t know how anyone can have a negative feeling about Gillies! We here in Strummerville love Gillies! He has proven to be one of the top heavy’s in the NHL. We saw twice last season former top heavy Godard begging Gillies to stop beating on him. He keeps the team safe and his role is vital. I know there are some serious pascifist here who don’t like fighting, think Nielsen and Tavares should defend themselves and fight guys like Godard, Asham etc on there own, and think the NHL and the refs will protect the Isles but that is all insane logic that no team follows. Isles tried going the no enforcer route for years and it has been brutal to watch. The winning streak last season was tied to the upgrade in toughness. All the Isles skill players (and every in the NHL) plays a bigger more confident game when they aren’t having to play in fear.
Good job Garth and well earned Trevor!
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Gillies signing-Great!
All the people bashing him-are you out of your minds. We have been a doormat for years, beat up-pushed around by other teams..it was sad too watch. How quickly you people forget.
He is a deterrent to other teams that think they are gonna take advantage of us.
-the real problem is that no one sticks up for themselves on this team. If they did we may not even need gillies. i love him thoguh -
For all you haters, if you need any evidence that Gillies’ presence does not effect how other teams play the Islanders, Google “Gillies vs. Boll”.
If you don’t think Boll and the rest of the team thought twice about hitting Tavares from behind after this, then maybe hockey just isn’t your game.
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
2 way deal doesn’t hurt … He just takes up 1 of the 50 contract maximum.
I hope he’s able to contribute more this season in the points department. I’ll take 10 from TG … but I’d rather a tough young kid that can contribute as many points as he gets fighting majors.
I know you said the Zee man wasn’t coming back CB … and maybe these kids need to be kicked out of the nest and look out for themselves.
That being said … as much as I would rather a bone bruiser with point scoring potential take up a roster spot … Keeping Gillies on a 2-way as a hired gun is a great insurance policy.
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Michael 22 says:
Well said Strummer (#36). And why is everyone so upset about Z? He’s a low minute, 4th liner center. That is a replaceable piece. Without him, there should still be plenty of leadership in the lockerroom without him. And the rest of the centers just have to step it up with faceoffs.
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SCLI says:
Can I move to Strummerville because I love the fact we signed Trevor to one more year. And the 1st time he cleans someones clock for taking advantage of JT or MG, the rest of you are gonna love it to.
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Steve says:
Nobody seemed to mention the referee factor. Hes going to be getting calls just because of who he is. His mere presense on the ice could possibly put us at a disadvantage. We have been getting screwed by the officials and this will just further it. He is a good team guy and a tough sob,but………
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Gary9-19-22 says:
I want a Trevor Gillies night!!!!!
Hand out fake moustaches, I’ll wear it proudly….
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what is wrong with this board? do you like sissy hockey? Can you really not like the best fighter on the team? man, let me know when the barry manilow show is over
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cgs878 says:
He’s going to have a tough time in the new NHL after all hits to the head are banned. He’ll have to practice hitting low. Too bad they won’t sign Z too.
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Ur Not Me says:
good signing, he’s here to protect the kids in bridgeport, an come up on occassion…..
gotta like the deal….. -
Jack says:
Don’t have guys like Haley and Gillies and get beat up again, get with it people.
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Jim Clark says: The two way part is the important item of the contract.
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#39 SCLI You are more then welcome here in Strummerville!
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Tom D in NJ says:
I am not a Gillies fan, would prefer Knopka.
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IslesNC says:
Glad to see Gillies back. Now they have to try to get him to confine himself to fighting when necessary, and try to rein in his more abusive behavior. The only time he should be aiming anything at someone’s head is when his fist is saying hello during a fight. As for Konopka, he is a bit too expensive penalty-wise at 300 minutes a year (and a marked man as the known NHL-leader in PM). If he could be a 200-minute man who almost exclusively takes offset 5-minute fighting majors, he would be more valuable.
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vukota says:
When are people going to realize that they are not keeping Gillies over Konopka??? Gillies is a winger and Konopka is a Center. They are Keeping Haley over Konopka. End of story
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john z says:
get perpared for more of these dumb ass snow blower moves… its the same crap every year.. SELL AND MOVE ALLREADY
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Dan says:
What a disgrace to the Islanders organization!
This guy has ZERO hockey talent, he is a brawler and a stupid one at that. Everytime he stepped foot on or near the ice the refs blew their whistle to get this low-life off the ice. This is only going to put the Isles at a disadvantage and at least Haley has some talent and potential.
It doesnt matter if it is a two-way contract, unless you are going to bury him in the AHL, which I dont even want him there since it will take ice time from developing kids.
Horrible signing again shows Garth doesnt know what he is doing and Botta stop giving him credit for sticking with the plan, bc he was forced to. Ryan Smyth mess cost us for several years and then he learned no one wanted to come to Long Island, so he had to stick with the draft, which I give RJ more credit than Garth on the drafting, but there is still major questions in my mind on the drafting, minus Tavares and Nino. I am a fan of Bailey and his potential if they stop messing with him on wing, but if they didnt trade down there was much better talent there and then DeHaan, sigh!
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19inarow says:
Who on here thinks they’re a better GM than Garth Snow? I’d defer to Garth.
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shlo says:
Lord Stanley – here we come!
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Madchef says:
Gillies back is a plus for sure. He takes no bull,and is a tough as anyone in the league with the fisticuffs(still think the Clutterbuck hit was fine).Haley will be signed over Konopka because he is an upgrade. Maybe this means we may actually sign a skilled forward so we dont need the 4th line to be entirely made up of hanson brothers anymore.And yes to the free ‘stache night, I’m in.
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The New Isles GM says:
He is in the line up for one reason and one reason only. To protect John Tavares. Every team know’s who Trevor is after last year and if any people even thinks about taking a cheap shot on John Tavares, Gillies is expendable enough to take a chance on suspension by hurting one of the opposing teams best players. He’s obviously not on the team to score or be a playmaker. He’s here to serve and protect. Simple as that.
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Steve says:
Love the guy, great to have him back!
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jimmy says:
This has nothing to do with Konopka. Don’t care either way about him.
Trevor Gillies is a joke and the worst player in the NHL. Before he joined our team AT AGE 30 he had played one game in the NHL, was knocked out by Boogaard and didn’t sniff the NHL until he signed with the Islanders.
He cannot play. He cannot skate. He has no idea what he is doing. It is an insult to compare him to the other enforcers that have made long careers in the NHL. He has the respect of no one around the league.
Please stop taking pride in having this goon on our team. He does nothing to make us better and a little to make us worse. There’s a reason the Islanders announced his signing late on a Friday with zero fanfare.
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Patty says:
19inarow – why do you defer to Garth as smarter than everybody else? Is it his record as the GM of the worst team in hockey over the last 4 years?
That must be it.
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Bob E says:
It’s a 2 way. Totally fine. He will play a few games when enforcing is needed. Isles need a good dman signing. Big name.
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Double Chili says:
I (almost) hate to agree but Gillies brings the element of crazy. He’s frightened me while at home watching games on TV (30 miles away). I look in the closet and under the bed at night to make sure he isn’t there. When he’s down in the ‘Bridge, is there anyway they can put a cardboard cut-out of him on the bench?
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hockeytime says:
Meh..I will say this, he is tough as nails. I really dont see the fascination with Konopka though. He won faceoffs but was a terrible hockey player. The isles would lose momentum whenever his line was out, he was the worst center the Isles have had since I can remember and I’ve been a fan for a long time. Go back and watch some games from this past year, ZK is a great person but just not a good hockey player.
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Ethan K says:
He’ll play against the Flyers, Pittsburgh, Boston and other physically tough teams. Every team has a scrapper in the system. Ours has a sweet ‘stache.
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S Goldman says:
The comments about how great and effective Gillies is are cracking me up.
Gillies is such an intimidating force and important player that his best option was…
…to accept a two-way contract that will pay him when he’s in the minors half the season less than the majority of adults on this blog make.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!
You just don’t get it. If he didn’t sign here, he’d be out of hockey.
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pete debenedetto says:
A perfectly good signing….and mentor for Martin.
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Joe Shmoe says:
Seems people are totally overreacting to this. Frankly, it’s not that big of a deal. He’ll spend the vast majority of the season @ the Bridge and come up for a few anticpated grudge games. He’s popular with a lot of the young players and can add an extra intimidation factor for the right games. Otherwise….whatever.
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niteislander@aol.com says:
Gillies is a heavy weight for the Islanders. It is that simple. He will be playing when they play team that have a heavy weight in their line up to fight him… He is Cheaper than most of the Heavy weights and he can hang with the Goddard, Orr, Boogaard (rip), Jody Shelley type and he is much cheaper than those players (and he actually scored 2 goals last year which I doubt any of them did) His contract has NOTHING to do with Konopka. If they do not sign Z. Konopka to be their 4th line center it is for a reason. I am not saying I agree with not signing ZK but either they think a young guy like Casey Czicas is ready or they are signing someone.
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ghon says:
We don’t need konopka! good signing Haley > Martin > gillies > konopka. Plently of guys with good locker room attitudes now with okposo and streit coming back. konopka takes the worst penaltys, someone else can watch him lose every fight and take 10min misconducts. Only thing that keeps konopka in the nhl is his faceoffs, other than that hes horrible.
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Billy says:
Hey CB,
I am very upset that Gillies is back for another year. I used to believe it was a privelege to play in the NHL, but he proves that theory wrong. A guy who only plays 3-4 min per game and has no skating, shooting, or passing ability is worthless to this team. There is no one who can tell me there isn’t another enforcer in the world who isn’t better than him in every aspect of this sport and his role.
Every team knows he barely plays and no one is intimidated by him, thus the only reason why he is there is a moot point.
I could easily go on about him in much greater length, but i’ll part with this: Trevor Gillies is an embarassment to this sport, to everyone who’s ever played the sport and tarnishes our teams history every time he puts our jersey on.
Thanks for listening CB,
Billy -
@69 .. nobody ever said he was all that important but he is there when his talents are needed.. and it may be his best option to sign a two way with a losing team but its a lot more than most of us could say. Id love the chance to play a sport for a living regardless of how much I was getting paid. Im sure he’s getting by. Great signing for both sides.
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jack blakc says:
Gillies is a GOON! He is NOT a hockey player by any sense of the phrase. He is a head hunter who should be exiled in the ECHL FOREVER! He’s also not too bright off the ice.
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bill says:
Players like Gillies can not protect the team when he has 2 min of ice time. He will only retaliate to a dirty hit on his teammate, by that time “JT” will be already hurt and Gillies is deemed useless. The isles need is a tough player who can skate on a regular shift and drop the gloves when need be. best move for the isles is a big nasty D man. I wish Sutton was never moved. Haley showed he can skate and fight.
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vrinqueens says:
I like Gillies but he’ll just remind everyone what happened last Feb. against the Pens every time he’s on the ice. The refs will give him a 10 minute misconduct just for breathing, they should go after Jon Scott sit his butt on the bench and I guarantee no one will touch our players all year.
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I Guess you guys hated Vukota and Pilon too because they took too many PIM? This is a 2-way deal for a winger- this signing has absolutely nothing to do with Konopka, who is a center and would never sign a 2 way deal. One or the other or neither or both of them getting a contract has nothing to do with each other.
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KaiserVanIslander says:
Like Gilles a lot, but he does have a target on his back. If he farts near a guy he’s going to the box. We need a player like him but not him. I think we should have kept Godard when we had him!
as for Konopka, not sure why he is loved so much. Like his fighting and faceoff work, but he’s not a good hockey player.
we could get a better player for the same price, if not less. We need 3 things
1) a Big nasty D man
2) a 35-40 goal winger
3) no DP! -
Winning says:
Generally in life, not just hockey, winners luke to asociate themselves with other “winners” and losers run with other “losers” as it makes everyone comfortable.
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Islesfansince1972 says:
He’ll play 4 minutes and give 56 minutes of deterrence, allowing the other players to play harder as if they’re 15 pounds heavier. If you don’t think deterrence is needed in the NHL, go back a few years ago after Chris Simon’s suspension and watch Exelby choking Comeau at center ice at the Coliseum. This doesn’t happen with Chris Simon on the ice – or on the bench. Comeau’s play was much less aggressive after that (can’t blame him!).
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Mike P says:
I would rather have Z over Gillies who does nothing more than goon it up. Z is a good faceoff man and was very vocal for the team. We have Haley and Martin to do the fighing if necessary. But its a 2 way deal so no worries..
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Billy the Kid says:
I like Konopka, think it is a mistake not to re-sign him also. But he is a very limited hockey player who can be replaced by a more skilled, faster skater, and we can do without his fighting skills.
Gillies serves a purpose, limited as it is. He will be there for the few games where certain teams ice a bully line up or have a known heavyweight that intimidates our smaller and skilled guys….i.e. Flyers, Pens etc. The rest of the time he is in BPort watching the back of our young kids.
I like the Gillies signing. We will have to see who Garth replaces Konopka with, and hope that his absence does not remove the pride he brought to the team. -
4theisles says:
I’ll believe we are real this coming season when we give- up on the musical chair approach to the goal position and sign another younger Rollie type. No way this team competes for a play-off spot with the circus we have in net now. Otherwise the rebuild continues until the team departs the Island. Yea an enforcer is necessary, but the big parts of the puzzle on the defensive side continue…………..
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Vealchop says:
Gillies is nothing special. Don’t know why CB likes him so much. He must be just a really good guy b/c his skills are non existent and he is a terrible fighter. I give him tons of credit for fighting everyone and the Pitt game (although he came off as goon with his hit and standing over the guy). There must be a better heavy weight around the league or in the minors somewhere.
Haley looked good. Him, Z, and dibendetto would make a nice 4 line.
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BattFist says:
Welcome back Gillies!
The team will need him a few times next season.Lets get Haley signed!
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Konopka is good on the faceoff and nothing else. He’s a bad hockey player and if you watch the videos you can easily argue that he never wins a fight and does not and cannot fight the heavy weights in the NHL. Gillies is here because Wang is too cheap to pay for an upgraded version.
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agree with 76. he is not a hockey player.
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MD says:
2-way contract. Smart.
But… we need to lock up Konopka or get Brooks within the next month for sure. I truly feel for Konopka. A player who showed more heart, arguably, of any Islander. He played hard, played multiple roles and did it often while injured.
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What happened to ol' time hockey? says:
You people who keep saying he doesn’t protect jt. Do you watch the games? Did you see how differently our team was treated after that Pens game? I wonder why that is.
I love all the people acting like the fans who like this signing are wrong. Oh, we should sign this guy instead, or sign this guy. maybe you forgot about the days when we didn’t re-sign anybody, now are players are all getting re-signed and you want to comaplain cause Z might not get signed? Or gillies was signed “instead” of him.
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ct1970s says:
Does this oopen a spot for Jeremy Colliton?
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Konopka protected our team verbally, but not physically. Except for faceoffs, he is a terrible hockey player. Gillies has little hockey talent as well, but the simple fact of the matter is that when he is in the lineup, we win! I just think the players play looser when he is on the bench, knowing he has their back. Also, Gillies happens to be a very kind hearted and caring individual who will do almost anything to protect this team. All you people that are calling him a dirtbag are way out of order. You were no doubt reacting to Campbell justice, which thankfully no longer exists, and those high character individuals like Mathew Barnaby, who had the gall to bash Gillies, and then was arrested for beating his wife! I love having this guy around! Oh, and to the comment that he is disgusting for yapping at the guy while he was down with a concussion: Do you really think Gillies at that moment knew the guy was concussed?? Get real dudes! Where do I get my mustache?
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D in Big D says:
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down….medicine go down….medicine go down.Man there are alot of posts here that….well should be watching other forms of entertainment.Gillies signing is a no brainer and his hit on Pens player(post 19)sorry bud,was from the side albeit a little high but from the side nonetheless.Haley IS an upgrade over Z w/o question and that is why Z wasn’t resigned.Everyone must have forgotten Rickety getting knocked out and the WHOLE Pens bench laughing it up!They weren’t laughing after the payback game and surely will never act like that again in their entire careers.They are the ones who made a mockery of the game.Gillies just reminds players the consequence of their actions.Good signing.
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Al R. says:
We need a player like Gillies on the roster. His mere presence on the roster serves as a deterrent. This is a rugged sport and a rugged league. We’ve already proven that without toughness on the roster we will be abused. The Flyers and Bruins have a reputation for playing “old fashioned hockey” but when the Isles stand up for themselves it’s considered “dirty”. It’s all about perception, especially with the refs, and we have to get rid of the perception that we are a pushover team that is not allowed to stand up for itself.
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Mike239 says:
Officer Gillies reporting for duty! I love this. Go get em Trevor!!!
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Big Van Vader says:
Not saying they will, but if they pick up an experienced vet that wins a ton of faceoffs and has grit, will you STILL be crying about Konopka? Listen, I liked him for this team. He played with his heart on his sleeve and seemed to really WANT to be here. However, apparently, somewhere along the line, he pissed off management and he’s done. Gillies gets a second chance from me. His presence alone seemed to help the kids play looser.
And besides, we ALL know it was probably that AWFUL goal song that got Konopka let go. Bring back Rock & Roll! (or at least Panteras’ “Walk”)
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Jerky says:
no brainer
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Seabass says:
I don’t get why everyone is so upset about Z. If there is a leadership void after we don’t bring him back, then we have bigger things to worry about. From a hockey standpoint, Gillies will be a 13th forward whereas Z got over 10 minutes a game. We can afford to have Gillies as a 13th guy but can’t afford to have a guy who we need to rely on for 10 minutes a game sitting in the bin for dumb penalties. That is what Z did and that is what, I believe, punched his ticket out of here. From a hockey standpoint, I think the importance of his face-off ability was overrated, he was good in the dot but I thought his poor skating and play on the boards made his line a liability. I also think his hitting was pretty overrated. Again, his weakness on his skates often prevented him from being in a position to hit effectively. I think he was much less of a “Swiss army knife” then people give him credit for.
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Hock says:
Say what you want, but this team played better with him watching their backs. He seems to know his role and enjoys it. Maybe a bit of a loose cannon, but he is enjoyable to watch.
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CJCB says:
Love it! NHL needs more of thses guys and a little less of the super softees around the league running people cause they hide behind guys like Gilles and the weak NHL rules!!!!
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Chris: in Newsday today Staple wrote what you reported a few weeks agao about Gillies being signed, Haley is close to signing and Konopka will not be brought back. Thought you should know if you don’t get the print edition.
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JT says:
This is a low moment for the fanbase. The majority of 100 comments are celebrating the signing of the worst and least respected player in the NHL. We have fallen far.
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chris says:
Trevor Gillies is a fine signing. The hit on Clutterbuck was clean, unlike the hit Clutterbuck delivered right before he was drilled. The hit on Tangradi was a little out there, and the taunting was unnecessary, but I played hockey and sometimes the emotions get the best of you. What happens on the ice stays on the ice. Trevor Gillies will police the Islanders and that’s fine. Can’t deal with another Bruno act of enforcement, although I did love watching Bruno get drilled by Colin White. Gillies is the least respected because he is on the Islanders, just as the Islanders are the least respected team by the MEDIA.
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the guy brings nothing except bad reputation and publicity. he has no respect around the NHL. he is a walking suspension. any GM in the right mind would get rid of him ASAP just to show the rest of the league that he is against cheap shots. I am really surprised people are celebrating this signing.
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terry says:
I love the Gillies signing he brings an element the team needs sign Haley and along with Martin we have 3 guys who can and will protect the rest of the team.If you dont like Gillies when he doesnt play and JT,MM,and the rest get run all game dont complain.He got his bad suspensions because of Campbells hate for the isles he is a cleaner player the Matt Cooke,pronger and the majority of the NHL all players the most talented and the least talented make mistakes. He should not have gotten a suspension for the 2nd hit that was just because of Campbells hate for the NYI.LOVE THE SIGNING
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Larry Satler says:
What ever happened to the idea you needed talent to play in the NHL. Schulz for the 70′s Flyers was tougher than this guy and could score 20 goals. Toughness with Talent not just a goon. Garth, you disappoint yet again.
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Does anyone remember Rick Tocchett who played for the flyers who started out as a goon then started getting more playing time became a reliable player who scored.I am not saying Gillies will become tocchett but if he got more playing time i think he could become a decent player who could score 5-10 goals a year which is what JB does and not much else potential doesnt warrant a spot if he cant produce either
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I saw Schultz in his heyday. And now I’m seeing Gillies around his peak. There is no doubt in my mind that Trevor Gillies 1 0n 1 would beat Dave Schultz 8 out of 10 times. Schultz always had his henchmen running interference or jumping in when he was on the short end. Check out old footage on You tube or Hockeyfights.com. Fortunately that is no longer allowed in the NHL. There was no 3rd man in back then and the Flyers made a career of attacking in groups with Schultz as their leader. Gillies is a better fighter than Dave Schultz. Bigger stronger and a better chin.
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terry – thank you for the most hilarious post I have ever read on an Islanders blog. I needed the laugh on this hot June afternoon!
Trevor is 32 years old. Playing for about 20 teams in the minors plus the NYI, he has 10 goals COMBINED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS!!!
But somehow you think with time and practice LOL that he can develop into a 5-10 goal scorer this year in the NHL. I cannot believe that people come here on a Saturday in the offseason that could be so completely clueless about the game and the team and the players.
Keep drinking, Terry. Trevor cannot play hockey and he knows it. I cannot believe you wrote that. I repeat – 10 goals over 10 years from age 22 – 32.
as for the guy saying Gillies could take Schultz, WTF does that have to do with anything. Schultz isn’t in the league. Schultz also scored 20 goals one season. Apples and oranges.
Gillies is a waste and a disgrace.
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A Real hockey fan says:
.. Whats with the WHINING and crybaby Islander fans? SRSLY? You still need some toughness/size in the NHL
.. Its a 2 way contract, it doesnt interfare with ANY other needs on the team, i like Zenon but hes a center and Gillies is a winger, apples/oranges
.. The Isles got bullied for a couple seasons by the opposing teams, the refs and the league in general! With ‘colin the clueless clown’ gone, maybe we can get a fair shake going foward.
.. Gillies will play 40-50 games or so and provide some muscle when needed, its a good signing, you still need toughness in the game (even with all the dopey rule changes) and Gillies provides just that! Good signing, and now lets add some extra pieces to the puzzle
.. Good move and looking foward to a better season, lets go Isles
As long as its 2 way its fine with me.