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Former enforcer Gino Odjick admitted to psychiatric ward this past weekend

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James OBrien

Former Vancouver Canucks enforcer - and Pavel Bure bodyguard - Gino Odjick was admitted to the psychiatric ward of a Quebec-area hospital this past weekend, according to a report by The Journal de Montreal (translated and expanded upon by QMI’s Marc De Foy). This came shortly after burying his father, so it’s been a trying week for Odjick.

De Foy reports that the 43-year-old is showing “worrisome signs of post-concussion syndrome” and provided an untrue bit of optimism:

But Odjick isn’t out of the woods yet. Case in point: the false statement he made to me during our interview.

“With Marc Bergevin’s help, Michel Therrien got me an appointment with Dr. Vincent Lacroix, head team physician for the Canadiens,” he said. “I’ll take tests at McGill University.”

I checked with Dr. Lacroix and Therrien, and the story wasn’t true.

“First I’ve heard of it,” Dr. Lacroix told me before the Canadiens-Devils game Monday.

De Foy ultimately concludes that Odjick is a “deeply confused man in dire need of help,” regardless of the cause of his issues.

The Vancouver Province details what seemed like a very different man not that long ago, as Odjick (second from the right in this post’s main image) was on hand for Bure’s jersey retirement this season:

Odjick looked happy and dapper during a public appearance at Rogers Arena on Nov. 2 when his buddy Pavel Bure had his number retired by the Canucks. He received a loud ovation from the crowd during his introduction. Odjick was a huge fan favourite during his playing days, when he served as Bure’s protector and took a regular shift.

Odjick appeared in 605 NHL regular season games, generating a whopping 2,567 penalty minutes, including 371 in 70 games during the 1996-97 season with the Vancouver Canucks.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins