Canucks legend Gino Odjick gets Hall call, continues to inspire Indigenous youth
A few years ago, Gino Odjick was in hospital fighting for his life. Now, the Vancouver Canucks legend is the newest member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.
Through it all, the humble hockey tough guy has continued to serve as a role model inspiring Indigenous youth.
“I was in shock,” Odjick told CTV News Vancouver during an interview at his home, describing the moment he found out he had been selected for the hall of fame.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening.’”
Odjick, who is Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi near Maniwaki, Que., is the 13th Canuck elected to the BCSHOF, but just the first who is Indigenous.
“He doesn’t take that for granted,” said Peter Leech, a retired pro hockey player and close friend of Odjick. “He wants to help and support as much as possible wherever he can.”
The pair frequently travels together to Indigenous communities to speak to young people about their experience and encourage them in their endeavours.
“You know, we’re just two First Nations kids from a reserve and we were able to make it and you guys can make anything you want,” Odjick said about the message he shares with Indigenous youth.
Over eight seasons as a Canuck, Odjick established himself as one of the National Hockey League’s toughest players — amassing over 2,500 penalty minutes in his career.
“I knew what my job was. I was an enforcer and I was there to protect the smaller guys on the team,” Odjick said.
That role frequently involved sticking up for superstar Pavel Bure when other teams tried to rough up the talented goal scorer.
The two quickly became best friends on the team, and Odjick says the Russian Rocket was always grateful to have the fearsome enforcer by his side.
“He really appreciated what I did for him and he always thanked me,” Odjick said. “Whenever we had a two on one, instead of shooting, he would pass me the puck and give me an open net for a goal because he knew I liked to score goals too.”
The biggest fight of Odjick’s life actually came off the ice, long after he retired from professional hockey in 2002.
In 2014, he revealed he was battling a rare blood disorder and doctors didn’t expect him to survive.
Upon hearing the news, hundreds of fans turned up at a rally outside Vancouver General Hospital chanting the legend’s name.
With Leech pushing his wheelchair, Odjick went outside to greet the crowd, standing to wave in acknowledgment and sign a few autographs.
“I was really touched and I couldn’t believe that so many people showed up for me,” he said. “Things started going better after that.”
Doctors offered Odjick an experimental drug, which has worked. His condition is no longer considered terminal.
As the country confronts its history of colonial violence following this year’s confirmation of unmarked graves at a number of former residential schools across the nation, Odjick revealed the impact it has had on him.
As a child, his own father was separated from his family and forced into one of the institutions.
“He never really talked about it with us. So, you know, I got pretty emotional when I found out what happened in Kamloops and thought this must have happened in other places too,” said Odjick, who added he sees a lot more Canadians becoming aware of this country’s dark history.
“A lot of people have come up to me asking, ‘What can we do to help First Nations?’ I say, ‘Well, you know, starting to understand and support us is what you can do.’”
That’s a commitment Odjick has always taken personally. For his next project, he hopes to work with the Canucks to establish a scholarship for Indigenous youth.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.