Gino Odjick's family fight against authors for revealing his dark secrets

It's hard to believe but it's been nearly three years since legendary NHL enforcer Gino Odjick passed away at just 52 years old.

Odjick suffered from a rare terminal heart disease called AL amyloidosis and passed away from a heart attack in January, 2023.

Feared on the ice and loved off the ice, Odjick was a force of nature for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens in the 1990s. In his death he continues to serve as an inspiration for Indigenous youth in Canada and his family is upholding his legacy in that regard.

Odjick's son Tobias Odjick, himself a pro hockey player with the SPHL, was recently in the family's hometown of Maniwaki, Quebec to oppose the release of his father's unauthorized autobiography entitled, ' Gino: The Fighting Spirit of Gino Odjick' and released by Vancouver based authors Patrick Johnston and Peter Leech.

"We don't support this book," Tobias said on behalf of his family at the event. "We don't support the things that have been said in there. I think we all agree that this book was written without consent. Once he's passed his death where he can't deny or say that he doesn't want certain things in the book... that's one of the reasons why I'm here today in support of me and my brothers and sisters and for our father's honor. I think there are some things in that book that are very personal and shouldn't have been said."

Tobias confirmed that he wasn't invited to the book launch event, but showed up on his own volition to support his father's honor.

Author Peter Leech, who was a personal friend of Gino's for over 30 years, understands the family's opposition to the things revealed in the book but he has no regrets for releasing the material in the book.

"Some family are going to disagree with the book itself because they feel that he (Gino) wouldn't approve of it. Then there are other family members who were very much involved," Leech told APTN News. "We gave them (readers) the human version of Gino... so people could understand who he was as a person."

Tobias said that while he doesn't support Leech and the book, it was beautiful to see the community come together for his father at the book release event.

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