What a week it乌鸦传媒檚 been for Surrey乌鸦传媒檚 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 hasn乌鸦传媒檛 yet scored a point in the NHL. But he乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 a big fan, I like him a lot,乌鸦传媒� . 乌鸦传媒淚 think there乌鸦传媒檚 another level, and that乌鸦传媒檚 when playing in the NHL. He乌鸦传媒檚 earned a spot right now, you know 乌鸦传媒� I don乌鸦传媒檛 know how long it乌鸦传媒檚 going to be. Maybe it乌鸦传媒檚 the rest of the year, but he乌鸦传媒檚 earned a spot.
乌鸦传媒淚 know guys enjoy playing with him,乌鸦传媒� the coach continued. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e had a couple of players come up to me individually and say, 乌鸦传媒楬ey, don乌鸦传媒檛 be afraid to throw him on my line.乌鸦传媒� So I think that乌鸦传媒檚 the ultimate compliment for that kid.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚t was a dream come true for the family, for the community, and for all of us here in B.C.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Kuldip Bains speaks with Kate Pettersen () on watching his son, Arshdeep, make his NHL debut during the Mentors乌鸦传媒� Trip! |
Bains made his NHL debut with proud father Kuldip at the game in Colorado, on the team乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒渕entors trip.乌鸦传媒� In Seattle, more family members watched him in action.
乌鸦传媒淚t was a dream come true for the family, for the community, for all of us here in B.C.,乌鸦传媒� Kuldip Bains told the Canucks乌鸦传媒� rinkside reporter, Kate Pettersen.
乌鸦传媒淗is demeanor is hard work, and right from the beginning he乌鸦传媒檚 always working hard, to the fullest,乌鸦传媒� Bains乌鸦传媒� father added.
Two weeks ago Bains was called up by the Canucks from their AHL affiliate, Abbotsford Canucks, where he乌鸦传媒檚 starred in recent months and in the first week of February.
Arshdeep Bains writes 乌鸦传媒淏ibi乌鸦传媒� & 乌鸦传媒淏aba乌鸦传媒� on every one of his hockey sticks paying respect to his grandma & his late grandpa.
乌鸦传媒� 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 WHL乌鸦传媒檚 Bobby Clarke Trophy as top scorer in 2021-22 with 112 points in 68 games.
With the Canucks he乌鸦传媒檚 wearing jersey #80, and on his hockey sticks writes 乌鸦传媒淏ibi乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒淏aba乌鸦传媒� 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.
乌鸦传媒淏ains is a big deal for the Punjabi community, but also Surrey, and it乌鸦传媒檚 such a great story,乌鸦传媒� confirmed Harpreet Pandher, a broadcaster with Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition.
乌鸦传媒淗e gets signed by his favourite childhood team, the Canucks. Getting signed, that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 mean you乌鸦传媒檙e going to play in the NHL, but the season he乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淕oing back to his junior days,乌鸦传媒� Pandher added, 乌鸦传媒渃oaches have mentioned that Arshdeep is very coachable, a good learner. Every level he乌鸦传媒檚 been at, he乌鸦传媒檚 worked hard and he made the adjustments needed to get to the next step.乌鸦传媒�
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, Bains乌鸦传媒� home-ice debut with the Canucks was not broadcast live on Hockey Night in Canada乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淗opefully he can get a point here, maybe a goal, that will be the next thing for him,乌鸦传媒� Pandher said. 乌鸦传媒淚 remember seeing Robin Bawa playing, someone with brown skin out there, and just getting goosebumps watching that. It乌鸦传媒檚 the same feeling I had this week with Arshdeep, it乌鸦传媒檚 great. How few Punjabis have played (in the NHL), it乌鸦传媒檚 surprising to me, but it shows just how tough it is to play in the league.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒� RELATED STORY, from June 2023: .
Despite the early accolades, Bains said he isn乌鸦传媒檛 entirely satisfied with his play in the NHL so far, just a few games in.
乌鸦传媒淚t was so special,乌鸦传媒� he said of Saturday乌鸦传媒檚 home-ice win, , 乌鸦传媒渁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.乌鸦传媒�
