It seems Brian Burke’s directive — you know the one? It goes something, something, truculence? — has trickled down to the AHL.
The Abbotsford Heat announced today they have signed pugilist Trevor Gillies to an AHL contract. Gillies, you may recall, was part of the infamous brawl between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders. You may remember him as the guy shouting from off-ice at a downed Penguin. Yes, it’s that Trevor Gillies.
Depending on your definition of impressive, Gillies has some impressive numbers. In 676 games split between the NHL, AHL, and ECHL, Gillies has racked up 2,866 PIM. Before inking his deal with the Heat, Gillies spent three games with SM-Liigas HIFK (54 PIM), and five games with Orlando of the ECHL (21 PIM).
But I am sure Gillies is being brought in for his scoring prowess. In those 676 games, Gillies has contributed to the tune of 11 goals and 32 assists.
The one-time Anaheim Duck — Gillies was there during the Burke years — will be available to the Heat for the weekends games when they host the Hamilton Bulldogs.
American Hockey Blog 