BOSTON — Trevor Gillies is used to playing the bad guy role when he visits opposing rinks, even if he is one of the nicest guys in the league away from the ice.
Racking up 2,519 penalty minutes in 571 minor-league games and another 232 PIMs in 51 games in the NHL, not to mention a pair of well-publicized suspensions costing him 19 games earlier this year, will have that effect.
Gillies isn't likely to face a warm reception Wednesday night when the Islanders pay their final visit to the Garden either, but he'll still enjoy his stop in Boston anyway.
First of all, Gillies is pretty much an honorary New Englander, as his 11-year tour of the minors before reaching the NHL full-time this season including stints with seven different AHL teams in New England. He had tours in Lowell, Worcester, Providence, Springfield, Hartford, Portland and Bridgeport before reaching Long Island.
Then there's the fact that Gillies actually grew up rooting for the Bruins.
"I grew up a Bruins fan, believe it or not as a kid from Toronto," Gillies said. "I grew up a Bruin fan back in the day with Ray Bourque and [Cam] Neely, Jay Miller, Andy Moog, [Glen] Wesley and all those guys. They had some great teams back then and that was the kind of hockey I like, the physical kind of hockey that Boston always had."
Those ties will be put on hold Wednesday night when Gillies' current employer takes on Boston.
"We want to try to upset some teams, like we have," Gillies said. "We beat the Rangers the other night and hopefully we can come in here and upset the Bruins. That's the plan."
But even amid the competition between the Bruins and Islanders, there is plenty of respect and even some admiration for a former teammate.
"I'm actually good friends with Shawn [Thornton]," Gillies said. "He's a guy that I really respect. He was my captain in my Portland Pirates days for the second year I was there. He's a fantastic guy. He works tremendously hard on his game and he's in phenomenal shape. The guy's ripped up like a bad report card."
Thornton has missed the last three games after suffering a cut to the forehead from a skate blade, but is expected to return on Wednesday. And Gillies is looking forward to the chance to play against him again.
"I just talked to him and he said he's going to play tonight," Gillies said after the Islanders' morning skate. "Obviously we had a great fight last time. We're friends, but the loyalty's to the jersey."
Gillies would like nothing better than to follow Thornton's career path. The Bruins' tough guy spent the better part of 10 seasons battling in the AHL before getting his first shot at regular NHL duty with Anaheim in 2006-07. Thornton won a Cup with the Ducks that season, then signed with the Bruins the following summer. He hasn't been back to the minors since, and this year has established career highs with nine goals and 18 points.
"I would be honored if I could get my game to even half the level of what he's playing at right now," said Gillies, who played just 15 games in the NHL in 11 pro seasons before this year. "He's got nine goals, he fights all comers at 6-1 and he does real well. He's just a great teammate and a great person. I wish nothing but the best for Sugar Shawn."
Unless, of course, it comes down to another bout between the two tough guys. They tangled in New York's first visit to Boston on Dec. 9, adding another chapter to a rivalry that dates back to their days in the AHL.
"We played against each other many times in the American Hockey League and we've fought a bunch," Gillies said. "They've always been good fights. There's never been one lopsided either way. He's a really tough opponent and he takes pride in his job. You always have to be ready if you're going to duke it out with the big 2-2 there."
Gillies knows that Thornton might not be ready to scrap on Wednesday coming off his facial injury, and he respects him enough not to force this issue.
"I don't go into games worried about [fighting]," Gillies said. "I have to worry about playing the game. If I play the game the way I'm supposed to play it, just like the way he plays it, the fights are going to happen. And you don't just fight for yourself. You fight for your teammates and when it's the right time when you need a spark. It's something I've learned and I'm honored to do, so if a fight presents itself then me and Shawn will put the friendship aside and do it. And if not, that's fine too. We'll play hockey, play a hard, honest game."
