I've been calling Clark Gillies "Moose Jaw's Favourite Son" for decades.  He was and always will be.

The news hit me hard on the weekend.  A good friend of mine messaged me on Friday morning (January 21st) to tell me he had just heard that Clark wasn't well.  He was battling cancer.  I went to bed early on Friday night and when I got up Saturday morning, it was the first thing I saw in my news feed.  Clark had passed away.

Clark Gillies was my hero.

I did some growing up in Regina before the Carnie family moved to Moose Jaw in the summer of 1973.  I had seen Gillies play for the Pats at the old Exhibition Stadium a time or two.  As an 8-year-old boy in '73 and having just moved to a new city, I felt some sort of special connection to the Moose Jaw boys who were playing for the Pats - Gillies and goalie Ed Staniowski.  Those two would lead the Pats to a Memorial Cup championship in the spring of 1974 before they went on to their professional hockey careers - Gillies with the Islanders and then Buffalo Sabres, Staniowski with St. Louis, Winnipeg and finally, Hartford.

I have so many stories I could tell you.  I clearly remember Clark showing up at a Little League game I was playing in.  His golf partner that day asked if he'd tag along to catch his boy's ball game that evening.  Clark obliged and took time to talk with the kids from both teams after the game.  He signed ball gloves, bats and hats for at least half-an-hour.  That was the first time I met him in-person.

Little did I know (I think I was 9 or 10 years old at that time) that I'd go on to form a friendship with Clark.  We weren't close but, as a member of the local media, Clark always obliged when I wanted or needed an interview.  

Clark came back home regularly during his pro hockey career.  He came home for fundraising dinners and with the help of his brother, Doug and a number of volunteers, hosted the long-running "Clark Gillies Celebrity Golf Classic" at the local Hillcrest Golf Club for many years, raising money for local charity.

Clark and I worked a number of dinners and shows together over the years.  We always had fun.  

As I had Clark in my thoughts this past Saturday, I reminisced about one particular Gillies Celebrity Classic that I'll never forget.  I thought I might just have an old photo from those days in my scrapbook.  I have it.  Thank goodness.  Have a look.

As you can see, that photo was published in the Moose Jaw Times-Herald on Friday, July 7th, 1989.  That "parade" on Main Street had taken place the day before around 10 o'clock in the morning.

The late Vern Traill, former GM at CHAB, had arranged for some of his friends from the Edmonton Oilers' organization to come to Moose Jaw for Gillies' tournament.  He got special permission for Bill Comrie, owner of The Brick, to bring the boys down to Moose Jaw on his Lear Jet and land out at 15-Wing Moose Jaw.

As I recall, Comrie told Traill that he and the boys would expect limousines on the runway for the trip into Moose Jaw.  They got limos, alright.

Trail and his buddies (including Gillies) were waiting for them with horse-drawn wagons!  What a time that was!

I drove the CHAB van at the head of the parade, followed by Les Gould in the Labatt van, full of cold beers on ice.

We paraded north on Highway #2, went west on Manitoba Street and then north on Main Street.  What a spectacle that was!

I clearly remember as this photo was being taken at the busy corner of Main and Fairford, a young police officer pulled up in his cruiser and engaged the emergency lights.

He targeted Traill who was all decked out in his cowboy gear and riding his horse.  The cop said, "What's going on here?"

Traill replied, "We're having a parade!"

The cop said, "Do you have a permit?"

And Traill said, "Permit?  We don't need one.  That's Clark Gillies, Mark Messier and Craig MacTavish on that wagon.  There's your permit!"

The officer slowly got back his vehicle and moved along and so did we.  What a day!  What a time!

I've been telling that story for 33 years and you can bet Clark was too.

Clark Gillies - gone at the age of 67.  May he rest in peace.

I'm gonna miss him.

--Carnie