Canucks: First NHL goal ‘meant to be’ for local winger Arshdeep Bains

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Arsh Deep Baths earned a solid vote of confidence before suiting up for his hometown Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

The left winger spoke with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and the Canucks legends told him they had a feeling Bains was ready to score his first NHL goal.

They were right.

“I’d heard that from a couple of guys,” Bains said after scoring the game-winning goal in Vancouver’s 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. “Everyone is very happy for me. And I almost felt like it had to be that way.”

Bains, a native of Surrey, said his mom and dad were in the stands to watch his big night.

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The 23-year-old forward picked up a loose puck in Penguins territory midway through the second period and threw it to linemate Daniel Sprong, who ran up the ice and fired a shot into Alex Nedeljkovic’s pads. Pittsburgh’s goalie couldn’t grab the rebound, which went to Bains and into the open net.

Sprong’s work felt like “a gift,” Bains said.

“I really can’t even put it into words,” he said. “It happened very quickly and all the boys were very happy. “It’s just a special moment.”

Pittsburgh called a 30-second timeout after Bains scored, giving him a few moments to celebrate the moment with his teammates. The Canucks gave out hugs and high-fives while the Penguins huddled on their bench. Sprong ran down the ice to collect the puck, a souvenir Bains said he would give to his father.

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A teammate had some constructive criticism towards the scorer.

“I wish he had a bigger smile in his goal. But you see the reaction of the guys on the bench: I think we were happier than him,” winger Kiefer Sherwood said with a smile.

“But he’s been a guy that just hunkers down and keeps working. … So it really feels good to have everyone support him and see him do his thing.”

After going undrafted, Bains signed with the Canucks as a free agent in March 2022 following a standout campaign in which he scored 43 goals and 69 assists in 68 games for the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League.

He spent the 2022-23 campaign with the American Hockey League. Abbotsford CanucksHe was then called up to the NHL roster for eight games last season.

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However, it was in September training camp where Bains really impressed. The six-foot, 184-pound forward was initially sent to Abbotsford following the club’s latest round of cuts, but Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet He was quick to say that Bains would return to Vancouver soon.

“He’s got some speed, but he’s starting to find an identity that he can control as well,” Tocchet said of how Bains has caught his attention. “He’s finding the positions to be on defense. “He’s working on his game.”

Others in the Canucks locker room have also noticed Bains’ growth.

Vancouver’s star forward Elias Pettersson He said he always knew his young teammate had what it took to be a good player.

“He makes plays. He has to play to make a sauce pass and make the right decisions,” Pettersson said. “But he has a habit of working hard and playing the right way. And I think it will continue to get better for us.”

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