Surrey-born Arshdeep Bains has played his way onto Vancouver Canucks' opening-night roster ahead of Thursday's home game (Oct. 9) against Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena.
Bains, a left-shot forward who wears #13, scored one goal in 13 games for the Canucks last season before winning the AHL's Calder Cup with Abbotsford Canucks in June. In five exhibition games he had three assists.
On Monday (Oct. 6), Bains was among 14 forwards named to Vancouver's opening-night roster by Canucks GM Patrik Allvin.
"We're excited," Bains said Sunday after a morning practice at UBC. "We've been going for a couple weeks now, got the exhibition games done, guys want to hit the ground running now. We've been practicing really well. I think we're all pretty excited to get started."
The undrafted Bains, 24, who skated on a line with Filip Chytil and Conor Garland in preseason, would probably be a waiver-wire claim if reassigned to Abbotsford.
Asked where he thinks he's improved on the ice, Bains told reporters, "I think I've maybe taken a step in my compete (level) and just being more eager and willing to do the things to be effective out there. You know, when you work harder and harder, you get faster and stronger, so I'm getting confidence in that, and I think it's kind of showing right now."
After Thursday's season-opener, the Canucks fly to Edmonton for a Saturday-night game against the Oilers, then return home to face St. Louis Blues on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 13), 4:30 p.m. puck drop.
