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Bob Kronbauer: This Gino Odjick tribute artwork is everything

A wonderful classic skate logo with Odjick's number and a raven

This week, Comox and Kwakwaka'wakw artist Andy Everson shared a graphical tribute to the late Gino Odjick on social media, and it's getting a lot of love.

Shown here, it's the classic Vancouver Canucks skate logo with a raven applied to it, and Odjick's number 29 below.

Everson's work largely involves what he calls "Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw-ized" graphics - modern logos and pop culture icons that he adapts and to which he gives a Northwest Coast art flare. You may be familiar with his Star Wars and Lego-inspired works that are available in stores and through Totem House Design.

Over the phone, he tells me he created this particular design during the 2011 Stanley Cup run. For each playoff round in which the Canucks played he released a new version of one of their logos, and this one was from the third round.

The raven on the design doesn't have a story to it, it just worked well with the logo.

But the significance of Odjick and the impact he's had is huge. Everson tells me that for Indigenous kids, specifically hockey players, Odjick was "somebody they could look up to, and saw themselves in. He was a great source of pride, representing the Indigenous community in hockey."

Lastly, the graphic shows a texture that makes it look as though it's been applied to a jersey, but it has only ever existed digitally.

I'm probably not the only one who would love to see Andy turn this into a print or a t-shirt.