India’s LATAM Cup roster features former Canadian major juniors, NCAA Division I and Canadian college players like captain Tyler Sandhu, his younger brother Jordan Sandhu, Akash Bains, Gary Dhaliwal and Raymond Grewal.
“For all of us, we get to do something for our community,” said Tyler Sandhu, who played for Everett, Tri-City and Red Deer of the Western Hockey League and the University of British Columbia from 2012-13 to 2021-22.
“Hopefully for us, this just keeps growing the game for everybody,” he said. “Seeing different countries, different countries playing, that’s one way to grow the game. Hopefully, kids in seeing other Indian kids not from India playing hockey, watching us here or see this online it gives them a chance to understand that they can be here too.”
Toor said the LATAM Cup team practiced Saturday in Vancouver with Robin Bawa, who became the first NHL player of Indian descent when he debuted with the Washington Capitals against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 6, 1989, in attendance.
“You should have seen the smile on his face,” Toor said “He’s the reason why we’re here is because he opened that door a long time ago.”
Toor said that door opened wider in May when Abbotsford, the Vancouver Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate, won the league’s Calder Cup championship under Manny Malhotra and assistant Harry Mahesh, coaches of South Asian descent. The AHL Canucks roster included forwards Arshdeep Bains, the team’s points leader (43 points; 11 goals, 32 assists in 50 games) and Jujhar Khaira, who was the third player of Indian descent in the NHL when he debuted with the Edmonton Oilers at the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 28, 2015.
“Abbotsford winning is probably up there in big moments for our community,” Toor said.