April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada. The country’s 800,000 citizens who claim Sikh ancestry have woven themselves into the fabric of what has become their home and native land, including its national sport – hockey. Sikh kids in Canada have been playing the game for decades and a few have made it to the NHL. Not only that, but NHL broadcasts in Punjabi, the most widely spoken language among Sikhs, have aired in Canada on OMNI Television’s Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC): Punjabi Edition since the 2008 Stanley Cup Final.
The NHL is working hard to grow its game in ethnic markets in both Canada and the US. Some argue that what the league has done to nurture hockey’s growth in the Canadian Sikh community could serve as a model. As the argument goes, attempts to establish NHL broadcasts in Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian and Inuktitut have yet to succeed, so whatever made the Punjabi edition of HNIC successful could hold lessons for NHL marketers.
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Perhaps, but I don’t think it will be as easy as all that. Sikhs are a vibrant ethnic group in Canada, but they’ve been in the country since the late 1800s. Their community is as Canadian as it gets, and hockey is part of its DNA. Making up just two percent of Canada’s population, Sikhs have nevertheless made huge contributions to the idea that hockey is for everyone. Yet selling the game to them was never the same challenge that it is today in winning over newer, less established ethnic communities in Canada and the US. Potential new fans must be able to see themselves in the game.
Here’s a look at four Sikh players in the NHL in whom Canadian Sikhs see themselves and who have helped them claim the game as their own.
Robin Bawa
On Oct. 6, 1989, skating for the Washington Capitals, Robin Bawa became the first player of South Asian origin to play in the NHL. Born to a Sikh family from Duncan, British Columbia (B.C), he played in 61 games over parts of four seasons from 1989 to 1994 with the Capitals, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.
Bawa was an inspiration to young hockey fans in the South Asian community in Canada. Randip Janda, a host with HNIC’s Punjabi edition recalled his reaction as a seven-year-old when he learned that Bawa, someone who looked like him was playing for the Ducks. As he explained it, “That was a game changer for me, because prior to that, there were players that I would look at — Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Pavel Bure – and say, ‘Wow, these guys are hockey players.’ But at the same time, they weren’t from a similar background as me. They were different”.
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For Janda, Bawa was proof that he could be more than just a spectator. He said, “Representation in the game matters because it inspires people. It gives you the opportunity to say, ‘Wait a second, I can be involved in this process too. It’s not just for somebody else. It’s also for me’ ”.
Manny Malhotra
Born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario to a Punjabi father and a French-Canadian mother, Manny Malhotra played 991 games in the NHL spanning 18 seasons from 1989 to 2015. He skated at centre ice for the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Canucks, Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers.
His wife Joann is the sister of fellow Canadian Steve Nash, formerly starring with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Malhotra was also the last active NHL player to have been a teammate of Wayne Gretzky.
Coaching now seems to be in the 43-year-old Malhotra’s future with seven seasons under his belt as an assistant coach, first with the Canucks and now with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If he can break through to become a head coach someday, it would be a significant milestone for both visible minorities and the NHL. Sure, there are a growing number of players in the league from visible minority communities, but aside from a few coaches with indigenous backgrounds, the coaching ranks are devoid of role models for aspiring bench bosses from visible minorities.
As Janda puts it, “If you go to local rinks across Canada, there are plenty of people of colour that are coaching at [lower] levels. But there has never been that upward mobility. And to have somebody in those ranks, whether it’s a head coaching job or a senior management job, is something that would make a huge ripple effect.”
Jujhar Khaira
The 29-year-old native of Surrey, B.C. has played 337 NHL games – 258 of them skating in an Edmonton Oilers sweater. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound left winger has been plagued by injuries and is probably in the twilight of his career. Now on a two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild, he skated for the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for most of the 2023-24 season.
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Jujhar Khaira was never noted for his offensive skills but was a solid bottom-six forward over his career. He brought a tough, physical style to his game and had a reputation as a determined grinder. The teams he played for looked to him as a leader in the dressing room.
Khaira comes from an athletic family with his brother Savhan playing five seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) before finishing off his career with the University of Calgary Dinos. In the 1980s his parents were prominent volleyball players in B.C.
Khaira’s career has no doubt had an impact on growing hockey’s popularity in the South Asian community in Canada. When he scored his first NHL goal back in 2017, Moezine Hassam, co-founder and executive director of the charitable organization Hockey4Youth said, “Now, kids of Indian descent and kids who are quote-unquote ‘brown’ … they’re going to see somebody that looks like them in a professional league”.
Arshdeep Bains
The 23-year-old Arshdeep Bains was born in Surrey, B.C. to Punjabi immigrants. He made his NHL debut with the Canucks on Feb. 20, 2024, fulfilling a childhood dream of playing for his hometown team. After eight games with the Canucks this season he was reassigned to the team’s AHL farm team in Abbotsford.
Khaira was a role model for Bains growing up. He began training and skating with him when he was 12 and said to himself, “If he can do it, then I can do it as well. I know that [representation] can have that importance on young kids, young South Asian kids trying to get into sports. Having him around when I was younger was special to me, and I hope to be that for kids coming up”.
Bains understands the importance of what he brings to his community as a representative. As he puts it, “There are a lot of South Asians that play in Surrey and around the Lower Mainland, so it’s really important to keep pushing the importance of this game for everyone who can play. It’s not about the colour of your skin or where you’re from or if you’re an immigrant or not. I think that’s a message that hopefully could keep spreading.”
More Sikhs in the NHL’s Future
While there are now just four NHLers claiming Sikh origins who have played in the NHL, their number is sure to grow in the future. Credit for that is due in no small measure to the trails blazed by Bawa, Malhotra, Khaira and Bains.