From an early age Odjick played hockey, but it was not until he was 11 that he joined an organized team, which would be managed by Joe. He played in the 1983 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Maniwaki. Until he was 15 Odjick stayed with local teams that mainly played other teams from reserves, often coached by his father. At that age, considering quitting hockey to pursue other activities, Odjick accepted a try-out for the Hawkesbury Hawks, a Tier II junior team from Ontario; though he had been a defensive defenceman until that point, Odjick soon realised that his skills were not good enough, and instead became an enforcer. It was while in Hawkesbury that Odjick was first given the nickname "the Algonquin Assassin," a reference to his heritage and skills as a fighter.