What a week itB次元官网网址檚 been for SurreyB次元官网网址檚 Arshdeep Bains, who played his first few games with the Vancouver Canucks and became just the fourth player with Punjabi roots to skate in the National Hockey League.
A rookie forward, , played again in Seattle two nights later, then helped the Canucks to a comeback 3-2 win over rival Boston Bruins in Vancouver on Saturday.
At Rogers Arena, dozens of family members and friends watched Bains play on home ice for the first time, with a team he cheered for as a kid growing up in Surrey, where he still lives with family.
Heading into another home game Tuesday (Feb. 27) against Pittsburgh Penguins, Bains hasnB次元官网网址檛 yet scored a point in the NHL. But heB次元官网网址檚 earned the trust of head coach Rick Tocchet and also teammates, meaning he just might stay with the league-leading Canucks for the rest of the season.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a big fan, I like him a lot,B次元官网网址� . B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 another level, and thatB次元官网网址檚 when playing in the NHL. HeB次元官网网址檚 earned a spot right now, you know B次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 know how long itB次元官网网址檚 going to be. Maybe itB次元官网网址檚 the rest of the year, but heB次元官网网址檚 earned a spot.
B次元官网网址淚 know guys enjoy playing with him,B次元官网网址� the coach continued. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had a couple of players come up to me individually and say, B次元官网网址楬ey, donB次元官网网址檛 be afraid to throw him on my line.B次元官网网址� So I think thatB次元官网网址檚 the ultimate compliment for that kid.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t was a dream come true for the family, for the community, and for all of us here in B.C.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Kuldip Bains speaks with Kate Pettersen () on watching his son, Arshdeep, make his NHL debut during the MentorsB次元官网网址� Trip! |
Bains made his NHL debut with proud father Kuldip at the game in Colorado, on the teamB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渕entors trip.B次元官网网址� In Seattle, more family members watched him in action.
B次元官网网址淚t was a dream come true for the family, for the community, for all of us here in B.C.,B次元官网网址� Kuldip Bains told the CanucksB次元官网网址� rinkside reporter, Kate Pettersen.
B次元官网网址淗is demeanor is hard work, and right from the beginning heB次元官网网址檚 always working hard, to the fullest,B次元官网网址� BainsB次元官网网址� father added.
Two weeks ago Bains was called up by the Canucks from their AHL affiliate, Abbotsford Canucks, where heB次元官网网址檚 starred in recent months and in the first week of February.
Arshdeep Bains writes B次元官网网址淏ibiB次元官网网址� & B次元官网网址淏abaB次元官网网址� on every one of his hockey sticks paying respect to his grandma & his late grandpa.
B次元官网网址� Randip Janda (@RandipJanda)
A special night for the Surrey kid making his home debut at Rogers Arena tonight.
Bains, 23, was undrafted in both the WHL junior league and the NHL, and , in March 2022. He played junior with Red Deer Rebels and captured the WHLB次元官网网址檚 Bobby Clarke Trophy as top scorer in 2021-22 with 112 points in 68 games.
With the Canucks heB次元官网网址檚 wearing jersey #80, and on his hockey sticks writes B次元官网网址淏ibiB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淏abaB次元官网网址� to pay respect to his grandmother and late grandfather. Before stepping to the ice, he touches the ground (rink floor) in a blessing of Mother Earth, a tradition among Sikh Punjabis.
B次元官网网址淏ains is a big deal for the Punjabi community, but also Surrey, and itB次元官网网址檚 such a great story,B次元官网网址� confirmed Harpreet Pandher, a broadcaster with Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition.
B次元官网网址淗e gets signed by his favourite childhood team, the Canucks. Getting signed, that doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean youB次元官网网址檙e going to play in the NHL, but the season heB次元官网网址檚 had, making the AHL all-star team and being the MVP, it was kind of a no-brainer that he deserved a shot at the NHL.
B次元官网网址淕oing back to his junior days,B次元官网网址� Pandher added, B次元官网网址渃oaches have mentioned that Arshdeep is very coachable, a good learner. Every level heB次元官网网址檚 been at, heB次元官网网址檚 worked hard and he made the adjustments needed to get to the next step.B次元官网网址�
As the fourth Punjabi-roots player in the NHL, Bains follows in the footsteps of Robin Bawa in the 1990s, Manny Malhotra a decade later, and fellow Surreyite Jujhar Khaira in recent years.
Due to pre-scheduling, BainsB次元官网网址� home-ice debut with the Canucks was not broadcast live on Hockey Night in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Punjabi edition, which showed the Toronto-Colorado game instead.
While that was a live-TV miss for the local Punjabi community, the Bains story is huge in Surrey.
B次元官网网址淗opefully he can get a point here, maybe a goal, that will be the next thing for him,B次元官网网址� Pandher said. B次元官网网址淚 remember seeing Robin Bawa playing, someone with brown skin out there, and just getting goosebumps watching that. ItB次元官网网址檚 the same feeling I had this week with Arshdeep, itB次元官网网址檚 great. How few Punjabis have played (in the NHL), itB次元官网网址檚 surprising to me, but it shows just how tough it is to play in the league.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� RELATED STORY, from June 2023: .
Despite the early accolades, Bains said he isnB次元官网网址檛 entirely satisfied with his play in the NHL so far, just a few games in.
B次元官网网址淚t was so special,B次元官网网址� he said of SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 home-ice win, , B次元官网网址渁nd if I was being honest I was probably a bit more nervous tonight than the first two games. It was awesome, and I had a lot of family and friends here. We were able to beat Boston at home, so it was awesome.B次元官网网址�
