Community remembers beloved Vancouver Canuck Gino Odjick

As one of the most-beloved players in Canucks' history, 52-year-old Gino Odjick died from a heart attack on Jan. 15.

Hundreds of mourners filled the Musqueam Indian Band community centre on Saturday to celebrate the life of Wayne Gino Odjick.

As one of the most-beloved players in Vancouver Canucks’ history, the 52-year-old died from a heart attack on Jan. 15. Among his last wishes was for some of his close family and friends to gather in his memory in the First Nations’ community.

Odjick spent the first eight of his 12 NHL seasons with the Canucks. He became close to families in the nearby First Nations’ community, referring to them as his “second family.” After his hockey career, he worked managing their golf course.

Chief Wayne Sparrow said that when he first met Odjick the two became fast friends. It was when Odjick left Vancouver, after being traded to the New York Islanders in March 1988, that Wayne said, “he left as our brother.” 

Born in Maniwaki, Que., Odjick grew up playing hockey on outdoor rinks on the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation.

When drafted by the Canucks in 1990, the rookie immediately took on then-NHL heavyweights Dave Manson and Stu Grimson in separate fights. His intimidating force, as one of the few Indigenous players in the NHL, made youngsters in Musqueam feel they had a shot at achieving their dreams.

“Gino gave a lot of us Rez kids someone to look up to. When all of our friends wanted to be the next Pavel Bure, here on the Rez, we wanted to be like Gino,” said Musqueam’s Carl Point.

Known as one of the toughest players in the NHL, Odjick was quick to drop his gloves and stick up for his teammates. More than just an enforcer, though, Odjick had a gentle touch around the net. He amassed 64 goals and 73 assists in the NHL.

But in retirement, Odjick faced a brush with death in developing a rare heart condition, amyloidosis, in 2014. At the time, doctors said he had just weeks to live. Former Canucks teammate Dave Babych recalled making a last-minute visit to Odjick in the hospital.

“Gino wasn’t doing well. The doctor pulled us over and told us to say our goodbyes, he said Gino wasn’t going home to Quebec and won’t make it back to Vancouver.”

Babych laughed as he told mourners what transpired just a few months later: “Sure enough, he came back. It was a wonderful surprise.”

Odjick lived nine more years after being diagnosed with the incurable disease. In an open letter to fans during his health battle, Odjick mentioned he hoped his career had opened doors for other Indigenous kids: “I was just a little old Indian boy from the Rez. If I could do it, so could they.”

While on the ice, the former Canuck was known as tough, off the ice Babych said Odjick was a big jokester who loved country music: “When we had team meals, his favourite thing to do was a shoeshine.”

Babych said that towering at more than 6-foot tall Odjick would crawl under tables, through his teammates’ legs and squirt ketchup on their shoes.

“His favourite target was Trevor Linden, I think because he had the most expensive shoes or gave off the biggest reaction,” Babych said.

Peter Leech, Odjick’s close friend, wrote a parable about “G-Man,” “Uncle G,” as he was nicknamed. It was about how Odjick was a fighter, not only on the ice, but in his latter years when his health declined. 

“Even death doesn’t pick a fight with the G-Man. Most men die on Day 1, but he wouldn’t quit,” read Leech, a retired hockey pro. “I knew a man who laughed at death.”

Odjick was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

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