About 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 contribue to his death in 2023. Odjick played hockey from an early age, first skating at the age of 5, taught by his father. It was while in Hawkesbury that Odjick was first given the nickname "the Algonquin Assassin," a reference to his heritage and skills as a fighter. Though he had been a defensive defenceman until that point, Odjick soon realized that his skills were not good enough, and instead became an enforcer.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.