Surrey/Fraser Valley (Ethan Allin – BCIT Radio Arts and Journalism) – Surrey’s Arshdeep Bains became the first player of South Asian heritage to lead the Western Hockey League in scoring with 112 points in 68 games for the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels this past season.
Bains won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as top scorer, all while attracting considerable attention from pro teams as a 20-year-old. He later went on to ink an entry-level deal with his hometown team the Vancouver Canucks when his WHL season finished. It’s likely Bains will make his pro debut in Abbotsford this fall.
Vancouver has always been on Arsdeep’s radar. Bains has been a fan of the Canucks since he was a young child, watching them advance to the Stanley Cup Final as a 10-year-old. Now Bains has a chance to live out his childhood dream.
“It’s probably the best thing a kid could dream of when they start playing hockey,” he told CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi. “For me to get the opportunity to play in my hometown, it’s super special.”
After scoring an astronomical 56 points in 22 games with the Valley West Hawks of the BC Elite Hockey League, Bains was invited to the Red Deer Rebels rookie camp. After being passed over in both the WHL’s Bantam Draft and the NHL Draft. Bains knew that making his pro hockey dreams come true wouldn’t come without hard work and dedication.
If it wasn’t for catching the eye of Rebels owner, Brent Sutter, who saw the hard work Bains put in every season to become the fully formed player he is today. Without Sutter seeing that in Bains, his story may have been completely different. Sutter witnessed firsthand how Bains became a stronger and more physically matured player in Red Deer.
Bains signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Vancouver Canucks on March 11 and hopes to impress next year. There is a good chance he will play significant minutes in Abbotsford this fall. Arshdeep’s work on and off the ice will help him become an all-around player for his team and community.
