Building Blue: Arshdeep Bains Gained Motivation from NHL Experience this Season

In his second season as a professional, Arshdeep Bains took another step forward and played more than a handful of games at the NHL level.

The 23-year-old undrafted winger suited up eight times for the big club in Vancouver and saw his AHL points-per-game numbers jump in Abbotsford from 0.57 to 0.93 as he put up 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points in 59 games.

Bains accomplished some of the goals he set for himself this year and was happy and proud of how he developed his game in his second season as a pro. 

“I thought it was a really good year,” said Bains. “I wanted to have a good AHL season when I was put there, but I also wanted to give myself a chance to play NHL. I was lucky enough to get that chance and I think I learned a lot when I was there.” 

Bains is a player who keeps proving himself when he is given an opportunity, and he wants to keep being a player who continues to earn the chance to get those opportunities. 

Last summer, Bains was brought in by Canucks Assistant General Manager Ryan Johnson to speak to the prospects at development camp. Bains had just wrapped up his rookie season as a pro and had attended the previous year’s development camp and then grew his game at the pro level. 

He shared his story and became an example for the young players making the push from development camp into the pro game. 

That led into this season, where the 23-year-old was looked upon as a leader on the ice. Bains is one of those players who doesn’t need to say a lot because what he says has weight to it and his actions usually speak louder than words. The 2023-24 AHL season gave him a chance to be in a leadership role with the Abbotsford Canucks and the added pressure helped him thrive in the AHL.

“The guys expect a lot from me on the ice,” said Bains about being more of a leader this past season. “I think there are a lot of things that I do that the guys respect. There are a lot of good players on our team, and just being able to be the guy that they look towards to help us win and be out there when it is an important time of the game was nice. We have a couple of those type of guys on our team and it’s one of the reasons we had such a good season.”

Now, as we head into the summer months, Bains has more motivation than ever after getting a taste of the NHL, he is going to push himself to get better every day and be at his best for training camp, where he plans on battling for a roster spot with the Canucks. 

“I've got goals for the summer for sure. Whether it is on-ice or getting better off the ice, but I would say when camp starts, or when the season starts, I want to give myself a chance to play and try to make that team in Vancouver but for now, I’m just trying to earn a spot again throughout the season. There's obviously goals I've got, but I'd like to just see how camp plays out.” 

We have seen Bains grow his game since he became a Canucks prospect in March of 2022. The 23-year-old from Surrey will continue to grind and said that being around the Vancouver Canucks during their playoff run was an incredible feeling as it brought back memories of him as a 10-year-old and being heavily invested in the 2011 playoff run. 

Those memories will provide extra motivation over the next few months as Bains trains to be able to take another step in the Canucks’ organization.