A former NHL player and youth hockey coach are excited over the signing of Surrey, B.C.'s Arshdeep Bains to the Vancouver Canucks.

Robin Bawa, a B.C. Hall of Fame inductee, and Jamie Jackson, Bains' former youth hockey coach, say the Canucks have gained a skilled skater in the Western Hockey League player, who scores goals but also helps protect his own team's net.

"Arsh has a tremendous work ethic ... you can't get him out of the rink," said Jackson, who has known Bains since he was seven years old.

Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced Friday that the team has signed Bains to an entry-level contract. Bains currently plays for the WHL's Red Deer Rebels in Alberta.

The team said in a statement that Bains, 21, leads the league in both points and assists, making him the first South Asian player to lead the WHL in points.

It also said the six-foot-one-inch, 184-pound left winger collected 11 power play goals and 24 assists on the man advantage to help the Rebels boast the third-best power-play percentage in the league.

In a tweet, Bains said he is "honoured and grateful" to sign with the Canucks, which he described as "a dream come true."

Bawa is the first South Asian hockey player in the NHL and played for the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990s. He says Bains, who grew up in Surrey, B.C., could help grow the game.

"Arsh is now a role model. South Asian kids, minority kids who look up to him and gives them some hope that if Arsh can make it, if I stick with this path and follow in his footsteps, maybe I might have a chance too," Bawa said.

Bawa said although racism still exists in the sport, hockey has grown globally with more players of different nationalities making it professionally.

He added that Vancouver is a multicultural city, so signing a player like Bains is "great for this city."

CBC News reached out to Bains for comment, but he wasn't available for an interview by deadline.