Notorious pro hockey tough guy Trevor Gillies(51) heads into his 18th season re-signing with South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.
He played in an 8-year high 46 games last season, the most since his 39 NHL contests with New York Islanders in 2010/2011.
The big enforcer also took his penalty minutes up over 100 minutes and had 8 fights.
He also appeared in a career high 19 playoff games, registering one assist.
His one foray overseas last a single season in the KHL, then just three games in Finland’s Liiga before returning to North America.
At 37-years old, he will turn 38 as the 2016/2017 and you have to wonder just how much the brutal enforcer has left in the tank.
A bit of an odd side of his long playing time is how many extinct teams he’s played for and that number currently stands a 9, including juniors.
Trevor Gillies(51) Vityaz Chekhov
Soon-to-be 14th veteran left wing, Trevor Gillies(51) will be taking his brute force game over to Russia, joining Vityaz Chekhov in the KHL for 2012/2013.
The 6’3″ 231 lbs. forward has been with NY Islanders‘ organization for the last three seasons and appeared in 56 NHL and 50 AHL games with their affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers. During that time he’s amassed a whopping 474 penalty minutes in the two leagues.
At 33-years old this is in all likelihood a good move for him to make as there’s no telling how many years he can continue to use his fists to protect teammates.
He sat out a good chunk of last season with a groin injury that limited him to 29 games.
The stocky forward was also seen helping out as an “assistant coach” behind the Sound Tigers‘ bench while he was on the sidelines.
Ironically after watching him play for the last 10 years, he skating and stick work has improved greatly over the last couple campaigns since he started extra sessions with Isles’ Skills’ Development Coach Bernie Cassell.
He will be missed at North American hockey barns, because he may be one of the toughest guys to lace up the skates but he’s also one of the nicest.
