Former NHL Forward Gino Odjick Dies at Age 52

Former NHL forward Gino Odjick died Sunday at the age of 52, the Vancouver Canucks announced.

A cause of death has yet to be released.

Odjick was drafted in the fifth round of the 1990 draft by the Canucks and became one of the team's most popular players because of his unmatched toughness. His status as an enforcer earned him the nickname "Algonquin Assassin," which was a nod to his Algonquin heritage.

Per Mike Brehm of USA Today, Odjick was "one of the NHL's most feared fighters" during his 12-year career. His 2,567 regular-season penalty minutes ranked 17th in NHL history, and he led the league with 371 minutes in 1996-97. He had a hand in 148 NHL fights, per hockeyfights.com.

Odjick helped propel the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final with a career-high 16 goals in the 1993-94 season, but they fell to the New York Rangers in seven games.

"Gino was a fan favorite from the moment he joined the organization, putting his heart and soul into every shift on and off the ice," Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini said in a statement. "He inspired many and embodies what it means to be a Canuck."

Odjick also played for the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Montréal Canadiens before his retirement in 2002. Of his 64 career goals, 13 were game-winners.

After retiring, Odjick spoke about his struggles with concussions. In 2014, he was also diagnosed with a rare condition called amyloidosis, which produces protein deposits in the heart, per Brehm. He went into remission through chemotherapy.

Odjick is a member of the BC Sports Hall of Fame in Vancouver and has an arena named after him in Maniwaki, Quebec.