The storybook season for Surrey native Arshdeep Bains carries on.
After setting a career-high in points on Saturday, he set off to San Jose to represent the Abbotsford Canucks at the 2024 AHL All-Star Challenge.
Extreme weather conditions prevented him from participating in the Skills Competition on Sunday. However, Bains arrived in time to lead Team Pacific to victory in the Championship and earn MVP honours.
The tournament featured four teams, each playing three 10-minute round-robin games. The top two teams advanced to the championship—a six-minute, 3-on-3 showdown.
Kicking the event off against the North Division, Team Pacific took part in a low-scoring affair, where the AHL sophomore Bains cashed in on his team’s lone goal. In the dying seconds, with the goaltender pulled, he redirected a beautifully threaded pass from Anaheim Ducks prospect Olen Zellweger.
The game concluded with a shoutout tie, securing a point for each team in the tournament standings.
In their second game against the Atlantic, Bains was credited with an early assist as Edmonton Oilers product Raphael Lavoie broke in to open the scoring just 32 seconds into the match.
Later, as the clock dwindled to its final seconds, he connected with the hometown All-Star, Shakir Mukhamadullin, to tie the game late with their goalie pulled for the second consecutive game. Once again, Team Pacific drew to a 2-2 tie to earn a single point.
Through two mini-games, the Canuck prospect led the All-Star challenge with a goal and two assists, picking up a point in each of his team’s three goals.
Faced with the Central Division in a must-win final round-robin game, Bains pitched in another assist, setting up Calgary Flames prospect Matt Coronato. This helped secure a shootout victory and a ticket to the AHL All-Star Game Championship.
In the Championship game, Bains went to work, stripping the puck at the blue line to send himself on a breakaway against former Coquitlam Express netminder Clay Stevenson.
With 13 seconds on the clock, he executed a calm backhand move to punch the victory, awarding Team Pacific the 2024 AHL All-Star Champions.
With two goals and three assists in three games, the undrafted 23-year-old earned the All-Star MVP title.
Bains is set to return to the Abbotsford Canucks’ lineup on Friday for a doubleheader series against the Colorado Eagles.
He currently shares the seventh spot in AHL scoring, firing at an impressive point-per-game pace with 40 points in 40 games.
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