Wayne Gino "Chief, The Enforcer" Odjick (September 7, 1970 – January 15, 2023) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey left winger. Odjick played a career total of 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens.
Before playing in the NHL, Odjick played 2 seasons with the Laval Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was drafted 86th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He played 8 years with the Canucks and played the role of an enforcer.
On March 23, 1998, Odjick was traded to the New York Islanders for Jason Strudwick.[1] He would play 3 years with the Islanders. On February 15, 2000, he was traded to Philadelphia Flyers for Mikael Andersson and a 5th round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.[1] After two seasons with the Flyers, He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for P. J. Stock and a 6th round pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.[1] He was only able to play two seasons with the Canadiens and missed most of the 2002–03 NHL season because he suffered a concussion when a puck hit him in the back of the head during a pre-season practice. He was also suspended by the Canadiens when he failed to report to the minors.[1] Odjick retired from playing professional ice hockey in 2002.
Odjick was born just outside of Maniwaki, Quebec on an Algonquin Native Reserve named Kitigan Zibi. In 2003, he moved back to Vancouver and partnered with the Musqueam First Nation to manage the Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy.[2] On June 26, 2014, Odjick announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare terminal disease called AL amyloidosis.[3]
Odjick died from a heart attack on January 15, 2023, at the age of 52. Odjick's parents, Joe and Marie-Antoinette, predeceased him. He had eight children and five sisters.[4] After his death, doctors concluded that Odjick had more than likely been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).[5]
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