Gino Odjick says his health is improving despite the fact he’s dealing with a rare, terminal illness.

The former Vancouver Canucks enforcer was diagnosed with AL (Primary) Amyloidosis last April. It’s a condition where proteins form deposits on the heart, which eventually leads to the organ ceasing to function.

The life expectancy after a person is diagnosed is one year, however Odjick says his condition is in “remission.” According to the 44-year-old, his heart function has improved from 28 percent to 58 percent capacity.

“I don’t feel like I’m sick at all,” Odjick told the Vancouver Sun. “I’m low on energy sometimes, but I’ve had nothing but good news since (I began treatment) in Ottawa. It was touch-and-go here before I went, but things have straightened out and I’m pretty happy about that. The doctors were surprised and happy at the same time.”

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Odjick played in the NHL from 1990-2002 and spent most of it with the Canucks. He also suited up for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers, finishing his career with 64 goals, 73 assists and 2,567 penalty minutes in 605 regular season games.

The Maniwaki, Que., native was drafted 86th overall by the Canucks in 1990 and says he has been overwhelmed by the support he’s received from family, friends and fans.

“Is the worst over? For right now it is,” Odjick’s friend Peter Leech said. “The doctors have given him more time, which is great. The opportunity for us now is to take advantage of that time and find ways to create even more time. There’s no reason we can’t do that. We turned six months into a year, now to two or three years. I think we can turn two or three years into six or eight years.”