Gino Odjick

Wayne Gino Odjick (September 7, 1970 – January 15, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1990 to 2002 for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens. Of Algonquin heritage, he was born and raised on a reserve in Quebec, and played major junior hockey with the Laval Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before being selected by the Canucks in the 1990 NHL entry draft. Known as an enforcer during his playing career, he was nicknamed the "Algonquin Assassin" and "Maniwaki Mauler". Outside of hockey Odjick was active in Indigenous causes, working closely with groups in both the provinces of British Columbia (where the Canucks played) and Quebec. After his retirement from hockey Odjick developed mental and physical health issues, spending time in psychiatric care, and in 2014 was diagnosed with AL amyloidosis; the disease would contribute to his death in 2023.