Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that Gino Odjick is living his post-career life the same way he played on the ice: being very straightforward and fighting to the hilt. It has been nearly a month since he publicly broke the horrible news about being diagnosed with a rare, terminal disease called AL amyloidosis that is attacking his heart and will eventually claim his life.

True to his word that he intended to remain accessible to his friends and fans as well as family, Gino made a public appearance this past weekend to accept the honor having a local sports facility in Maniwaki renamed in his honor as the Gino Odjick Sports Centre. Maniwaki is situated near Odjick’s home community, Kitigan Zibi First Nation.

During Gino's playing days, I refereed a few dozen of the 600-plus games he played in the NHL. I liked Gino, and never had a problem with him. He was what I call an "honest tough guy."

Odjick understood what his role was on the ice. He followed the Code and knew that penalty minutes by the fives and tens were part of his job description. He wasn't a sneak. He wasn't a whiner. He was just a straightforward tough guy who took his role of protecting the skill players on his team seriously.

Gino was a player after my own heart. He worked hard at his job and always strove to improve. Odjick could also play the game because he never stopped working at getting better. Apart from dropping the gloves, he had a 16-goal year in the NHL and could skate shifts where he contributed solid work on the boards.

I would take a Gino Odjick type of player on my team any time. As a referee, I'd gladly deal with an honorable tough guy like Odjick instead of a stickwork artist or a head-hunting predator.

It saddens me that the game of hockey is being pacified by the lawyers and coat-holders to stamp out the guys like Gino but they pay little more than lip service to the dealing with the Matt Cooke types of players that are really a menace to others' safety.

Gino has had his share of tough times after his career ended, seeing both his mental and physical health deteriorate. He's always been honest and direct about what he's going through; not to ask for pity, but simply to raise awareness and to let people know he appreciates their care and concern.

*********

Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.

Today, Stewart is an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.

In addition to his blogs for HockeyBuzz every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Stewart writes a column every Wednesday for the Huffington Post.