GoFundMe started to bring body of Gino Odjick to hometown

A GoFundMe effort was started for the family of former Canuck Gino Odjick to get his body back to his hometown.

But since then, organizers say the page has been taken down due to the “amazing support from the Canucks and other places.”

Hi there,
Thanks so much for your support. The family has asked the go fund me to be taken down due to amazing support from the canucks and other places. There will be a nice tribute to @ginodjick tonight at the game. Tune in:)
Thanks again Marcia

— Miss Marcia (@MarciaOnTheGo) January 18, 2023

At the time, the GoFundMe said that the money raised would go to bringing him and his family to Maniwaki, Quebec, where he would then be buried.

Meanwhile, Vancouver’s Mayor Ken Sim is also expressing his sadness at Odjick’s passing, saying he was a trailblazer.

“Gino’s story is one of strength — a trailblazer and a Vancouver icon, a man who broke down barriers in professional sports and offered inspiration and hope to thousands of Vancouverites in his retirement,” Kim said.

On Monday, the City of Vancouver also announced that the Canadian flag flying over all civic buildings, including city hall, will be lowered to half-mask in honour of Odjick.

To mark the passing of Gino Odjick, former Canucks player, the Canadian flag at City Hall and all civic buildings will remain at half-mast until further notice.

We offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/tnHdHf58kP

— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) January 16, 2023

“During his eight-year tenure as a Canuck, Gino delighted hockey fans night in and night out with his intense competitiveness and grit. In a season that would be his personal best, Gino was a part of the team that would take the Canucks to within one game of the Stanley Cup in 1994,” Sim said.

Kim adds that Odjick was not only a warrior on the ice, he was also an inspiration on the ground.

“It was perhaps off the ice that we saw some of Gino’s greatest moments as an inspiration to our city. In the face of a terminal diagnosis, Gino Odjick showed not only strength, but a fierce tenacity and determination — he fought on for another eight years, helping to pioneer new medical research and give hope to many struggling with life threatening illness.”

yəχʷyaχʷələq Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow echo’s this sentiment, saying he was not only an “incredible hockey player,” but he was also an important member of the community.

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“He was an inspiring role model for Indigenous youth, always remaining grounded in his culture and sharing stories of where he came from and what he overcame to become a Canucks legend,” Sparrow said.

“We are proud that Gino called Musqueam home for over three decades – investing in our community’s future and becoming family to me and many others.”

The beloved Canuck was diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, a rare terminal illness that causes a gelatin-like protein to be deposited in the heart muscle, affecting the organ’s ability to expand and contract. However, the cause of his passing has not been revealed.

McNaughton says the funeral details will be announced soon.

With files from John Ackermann