Former Islander Gino Odjick, 52, team enforcer, has died

Longtime NHL enforcer Gino Odjick, who spent parts of three seasons with the Islanders, died Sunday. He was 52.

His death was confirmed in a tweet by the Islanders as well as on Facebook by his sister, Dina.

“The New York Islanders are deeply saddened to learn [of] the passing of former family member Gino Odjick,” the team tweeted, adding: “The team extends our condolences to the Odjick family and friends.”

In her posts, Dina Odjick wrote: “Our hearts are broken. My brother Gino Odjick has left us for the spirit world. Fly high my brother. I’m gonna miss our dailey (sic) chats and your sense of humour. R.I.P. mon frère #29.”

According to reports, the cause of death is believed to have been a heart attack. In 2014, Odjick was diagnosed with a rare terminal blood disorder called AL amyloidosis.

Born on Sept. 7, 1970, the fourth of sixth children and the only boy, Odjick grew up on the Algonquin reserve of Kitigan Zibi, outside of the small town of Maniwaki, Quebec. His parents also raised 32 foster children.

“Honest player who cared about people and his teammates,” said MSG Networks Islanders analyst Butch Goring, who coached him in 1999-2000. “He had a strong desire to compete and be successful.”

Odjick, a 6-3, 224-pound forward, primarily was known throughout his playing career as an enforcer — a fighter who provided the muscle to keep opponents in line.

Odjick said his fighting skills were learned, in part, as the result of needing to defend himself and others because of racial tensions between inhabitants of the reserve and local townfolk in Maniwaki.

His best offensive year came in the 1993-94 season, when he had 16 goals and 13 assists.

“I think the best way to describe him would be ‘gentle giant,’ ” said Chris King, the Islanders’ longtime radio announcer. “A hulking, large man. But just all heart and always smiling, always laughing. Always had a good word to say about everyone. On the ice, there might not have been a more feared player and, in the room, there probably wasn’t a more loved player.”

As a junior player, his fighting skills earned him the nickname “The Algonquin Assassin.”

Chosen by the Vancouver Canucks 86th overall in the 1990 NHL Draft, Odjick played in Vancouver from 1990-91 to 1997-98, spending as much time in the penalty box as on ice, racking up six seasons with at least 200 penalty minutes, two of them with more than 300 penalty minutes.

“He had been on a very good Vancouver team for many years and the Islanders were struggling in the late-'90s when he arrived,” King said. “You knew the reputation. But once you got to know him, there was just something about that smile. He had the one, missing tooth up front. It was the toothless grin and he would always flash it at you. If you were interviewing him, he would throw his arm around you to make his point to chat with you. He always had fun with the media.”

Odjick was traded to the Islanders for defenseman Jason Strudwick on March 23, 1998. He totaled nine goals and 13 assists and accumulated 254 penalty minutes with the team. He was  traded by the Islanders to the Philadelphia Flyers for Mikael Andersson and a fifth-round pick in the 2000 NHL Draft.

Odjick finished his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, last appearing in the NHL in 2002. In 605 career NHL games, he had 64 goals, 73 assists and 2,567 penalty minutes.

Odjick last played in 2004-05 for the Horse Lake Thunder in the North Peace Hockey League. One of his teammates was former Rangers star Theo Fleury.

With Andrew Gross

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”