Gino Odjick Dead at 52: How Did the Beloved Former Canuck Die?

There was no way Gino Odjick would go down without a fight. Such was the case when he played for the Vancouver Canucks and battled a rare disease for nearly a decade.

Odjick was told that in 2014 he had cardiac amyloidosis. It is a rare heart condition that was thought to be fatal. Doctors then said he had only months to live. He lived another nine years and did well. The Canucks’ story is over. Dina Odjick wrote about it on her Facebook page and the Canucks soon confirmed it.

“Gino has been a fan favorite from the moment he joined the organization and put his heart and soul into every service on and off the ice,” said the Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini in a statement. “He inspired many and epitomized what it means to be a Canuck. On a personal note, he was a close friend and confidant, someone I could count on for advice and support. He will be greatly missed.”

“I heard I scored right after he (Gino Odjick) passed. I think that’s pretty powerful. It was meant to be, maybe he was there for me on that shot.

🗣️ Ethan Beer @the province | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/nOBVHeabyY

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 16, 2023

Odjick was a great enforcer who also handled the puck better than most enforcers at the time. He was an important part of the Canucks in the 1990s. That made him a regular on the phone with Pavel Bure, and he and Bure quickly became friends.

“He was a very special person”, said Stan Smyl, who both played and coached with Odjick. “On the ice he did what he had to do, but off the ice he was one of the nicest people I’ve met and played with.”

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Odjick was picked in the fifth round in 1990 and made it to the Canucks the following year. He played for Vancouver for eight seasons before being traded to the New York Islanders as part of Mike Keenan’s plan to split up the team.

Odjick played four more years for the Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL before retiring. Odjick went back to his home, which had become Vancouver.

Former NHL player Gino Odjick has passed away at the age of 52 pic.twitter.com/VDlvgtbihr

— Sportnet (@Sportnet) January 16, 2023

Until this season, he could often be found in the Alumni Suite at Canucks Games, cheering on his favorite team and enjoying the ‘Gino! Gino! Gino!” chants that would begin when he was shown on the scoreboard screen. Odjick will always be a legend in Vancouver as he was one of the most popular players in Canucks history. REST IN PEACE.

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