Off With His Hair: Clark Gillies shaves for charity

Despite his presence at tribute nights and frequent interviews these days, this is still how I picture Clark Gillies: Helmetless, cutting through a turn with one of the baddest mops in the game flowing behind him -- often with a beard, and usually surrounded by a bunch of Bruins or Flyers feathers that he kicked up during a good tussle.

(I also still picture this as a symbol of that era's end, with the unceremonious "Now with Sabres" stamped over the shoulder.)

So it's both jarring and really cool to see a long-since retired Gillies shaving his head again -- with considerably less hair these days -- for the Clark Gillies Foundation, as chronicled (with pictures) at Huntington Patch:

In addition to benefiting The Clark Gillies Pediatric Unit at Huntington Hospital, funds will also help The Morgan Center, a preschool for children with cancer, and The Ascent School, a school for children with Autism.

"The main goal of today's event is the future building of the Clark Gilles Children's Center, when, once built, will also house The Morgan Center and The Ascent School, allowing both to have the security of a permanent home," Gillies said. "I think it's a good project. I'd like to build a legacy that hopefully will be around for a long time."

The Islanders official site has video of Gillies and Bruno Gervais being shaved, with the help of a News 12 reporter.

And no, Terry O'Reilly: You can't have the hair.