What a week it91裸聊视频檚 been for Surrey91裸聊视频檚 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 hasn91裸聊视频檛 yet scored a point in the NHL. But he91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a big fan, I like him a lot,91裸聊视频� . 91裸聊视频淚 think there91裸聊视频檚 another level, and that91裸聊视频檚 when playing in the NHL. He91裸聊视频檚 earned a spot right now, you know 91裸聊视频� I don91裸聊视频檛 know how long it91裸聊视频檚 going to be. Maybe it91裸聊视频檚 the rest of the year, but he91裸聊视频檚 earned a spot.
91裸聊视频淚 know guys enjoy playing with him,91裸聊视频� the coach continued. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had a couple of players come up to me individually and say, 91裸聊视频楬ey, don91裸聊视频檛 be afraid to throw him on my line.91裸聊视频� So I think that91裸聊视频檚 the ultimate compliment for that kid.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t was a dream come true for the family, for the community, and for all of us here in B.C.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Kuldip Bains speaks with Kate Pettersen () on watching his son, Arshdeep, make his NHL debut during the Mentors91裸聊视频� Trip! |
Bains made his NHL debut with proud father Kuldip at the game in Colorado, on the team91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渕entors trip.91裸聊视频� In Seattle, more family members watched him in action.
91裸聊视频淚t was a dream come true for the family, for the community, for all of us here in B.C.,91裸聊视频� Kuldip Bains told the Canucks91裸聊视频� rinkside reporter, Kate Pettersen.
91裸聊视频淗is demeanor is hard work, and right from the beginning he91裸聊视频檚 always working hard, to the fullest,91裸聊视频� Bains91裸聊视频� father added.
Two weeks ago Bains was called up by the Canucks from their AHL affiliate, Abbotsford Canucks, where he91裸聊视频檚 starred in recent months and in the first week of February.
Arshdeep Bains writes 91裸聊视频淏ibi91裸聊视频� & 91裸聊视频淏aba91裸聊视频� on every one of his hockey sticks paying respect to his grandma & his late grandpa.
91裸聊视频� 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 WHL91裸聊视频檚 Bobby Clarke Trophy as top scorer in 2021-22 with 112 points in 68 games.
With the Canucks he91裸聊视频檚 wearing jersey #80, and on his hockey sticks writes 91裸聊视频淏ibi91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淏aba91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淏ains is a big deal for the Punjabi community, but also Surrey, and it91裸聊视频檚 such a great story,91裸聊视频� confirmed Harpreet Pandher, a broadcaster with Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition.
91裸聊视频淗e gets signed by his favourite childhood team, the Canucks. Getting signed, that doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean you91裸聊视频檙e going to play in the NHL, but the season he91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淕oing back to his junior days,91裸聊视频� Pandher added, 91裸聊视频渃oaches have mentioned that Arshdeep is very coachable, a good learner. Every level he91裸聊视频檚 been at, he91裸聊视频檚 worked hard and he made the adjustments needed to get to the next step.91裸聊视频�
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, Bains91裸聊视频� home-ice debut with the Canucks was not broadcast live on Hockey Night in Canada91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淗opefully he can get a point here, maybe a goal, that will be the next thing for him,91裸聊视频� Pandher said. 91裸聊视频淚 remember seeing Robin Bawa playing, someone with brown skin out there, and just getting goosebumps watching that. It91裸聊视频檚 the same feeling I had this week with Arshdeep, it91裸聊视频檚 great. How few Punjabis have played (in the NHL), it91裸聊视频檚 surprising to me, but it shows just how tough it is to play in the league.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频� RELATED STORY, from June 2023: .
Despite the early accolades, Bains said he isn91裸聊视频檛 entirely satisfied with his play in the NHL so far, just a few games in.
91裸聊视频淚t was so special,91裸聊视频� he said of Saturday91裸聊视频檚 home-ice win, , 91裸聊视频渁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.91裸聊视频�
