Gino Odjick, a beloved Vancouver Canucks enforcer from 1990 to 1998, has died, the Canucks announced Sunday. He was 52.
“Gino was a fan favourite from the moment he joined the organization, putting his hear and soul into every shift on and off the ice,” said Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini in a statement.
“He inspired many and embodied what it means to be a Canuck.”
Odjick was diagnosed with AL Amyloidosis back in 2014. It’s a condition where proteins form deposits on the heart, which eventually leads to the organ ceasing to function. Odjick was given just months to live at the time, but turned to an experimental treatment for his rare disease.
Along with his eight years in Vancouver, Odjick played parts of three seasons with the New York Islanders, two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers and two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens before retiring in 2003.
Odjick was born in an Algonquin Reserve named Kitigan Zibi, just outside Maniwaki, Que.
The Canucks drafted Odjick 86th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. During his time in Vancouver, Odjick was known for sticking up for his teammates and occasionally played on a line with Canucks superstar Pavel Bure.
In 1993-94, Odjick produced a career-high 16 goals and 29 points. The Canucks made the Stanley Cup Final later that season.
Odjick recorded over 200 penalty minutes in five of his seasons with the Canucks, three times recording over 300. In 605 career NHL games, Odjick had 64 goals, 73 assists and 2,567 penalty minutes.
