Bains becomes one of just four Punjabi NHL players.
Tuesday night marked Surrey, British Columbia native Arshdeep Bains’s Canucks debut.
Bains dressed for his hometown team in Denver for their matchup with the Colorado Avalanche.
The 23-year-old forward did not participate in either the Canucks’ home game on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets or their game on Monday against the host Minnesota Wild, despite being called up to the NHL team last week from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Raised a Canucks supporter, Bains joined the elite group of four Punjabi players who have made it to the NHL: Jujhar Khaira, Robin Bawa, and Manny Malhotra.
Bains’ Canucks debut is a step in the right direction for Metro Vancouver’s expanding South Asian community, according to family and hockey observers.
“What are your thoughts? When CBC News caught up with Arshdeep’s father Kuldip Bains on Tuesday night prior to the game, he was waiting to board a bus to Denver’s Ball Arena. “It is a dream come true for him,” he said.
“We are incredibly happy. It’s unbelievable, the entire community is supporting him and screaming out to him.”
With Abbotsford, British Columbia’s AHL affiliate of the Canucks, Bains is enjoying a career-best campaign. In 42 games, he has 39 points and nine goals.
Arshdeep Bains, a rising hockey player in British Columbia, was called up to the Canucks.
I’ve attempted to get a foot in the door at every level I’ve been in my life, and this is no exception. During a Denver media availability, Bains stated, “It’s been an incredible journey.”
“It’s every kid’s dream to play for their hometown team.”
Surrey, which is situated southeast of Vancouver, is the second-most populous city in British Columbia.
Canucks are praised for signing Surrey, British Columbia’s sensation by a former NHL player and minor hockey instructor.
The Avalanche defeated the Canucks 3-0 on Tuesday night. In just more than 13 minutes on the ice, Bains had two shots on goal, three hits, and a block.
A long-standing hockey custom has it that players making their NHL debut lead their team onto the ice and skate around alone while their teammates watch. Bains participated in this ritual during warmups prior to the game.
“It feels like a dream, walking out there for the first time,” Bains remarked following the match. And then it’s just like another hockey game when you start your first shift. It was very awesome.”
“This story took time to develop.”
Bains has been a member of Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, for the last two seasons.
Prior to that, he was the first South Asian player to lead a major junior hockey league in points while playing for the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League.
No WHL or NHL team selected Bains in the draft.
In 2022, he signed an entry-level deal with the Canucks.
Nilesh Patel, a producer of a documentary on young South Asian players aspiring to the NHL, expressed his unwavering support for Bains and his narrative.
“Without being drafted, both at WHL and NHL, what he’s done to get there… such a great story of perseverance and hard work to get to your dreams,” Patel said to Amy Bell, CBC’s On The Coast guest host.
According to the director, Bains’s NHL debut is noteworthy for British Columbia’s South Asian population.
He declared, “This isn’t an overnight story.” Hey, we were aware of this. The NHL should be home to this person. It’s great that the community can now see what they felt, don’t you think?When you feel marginalized, you want to see those opportunities, when someone ought to be there, taken advantage of.”
Metro Vancouver’s hockey passion brings South Asian kids onto the ice.
South Asian youngsters who value the forward’s diligence would feel more confident after Bains’ debut, according to Gurpreet Sian, an analyst for Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi.
“It’s been nine years since Jujhar Khaira made his NHL debut,” he stated. “It’s a huge accomplishment for the community.”
Sian said that while Bains might not play a big role for the Canucks, who are atop the NHL rankings right now, he might be a part of the team in case one of the team’s established players gets hurt.
The commentator claimed that luck and head coach Rick Tocchet would determine Bains’ future when asked if he could suit up for a potential postseason run.
“It is a huge, huge accomplishment just making it to the NHL and getting an opportunity to play with one of the NHL clubs,” he stated.
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