He played his minor hockey in Sparwood and Fernie, BC. Then at the age of 19, he played one season with Concordia University College of the Alberta Collegiate Athletic Conference in Edmonton. In 21 games, he had 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in the 1995-96 season. The following season, Brar made the jump to professional hockey. For the next seven seasons, he played in the Central Hockey League, the ECHL, West Coast Hockey League and International Hockey League. In 391 regular season games, he had 183 goals and 234 assists for 417 points with the Nashville Nighthawks, San Antonio Iguanas, Toledo Storm, Tacoma Sabercats, Las Vegas Thunder and Idaho Steelheads. He was also a +72 with 329 penalty minutes. In the playoffs during his professional career, Brar had 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points and was a +14 with 59 penalty minutes in 54 games. His finest hockey experience as a player was winning the 1999 Taylor Cup with the Tacoma Sabercats. Ironically, the Sabercats beat the San Diego Gulls in six games to win the West Coast Hockey League Championship. O’Ree had been a player for the Gulls in the Western Hockey League from 1967 to 1974. “Being able to play the game since the age of five and win a championship for a professional team was great,” said Brar. “The fans were magnificent and it was just a great feeling.” In addition to playing ice hockey, Brar has played ball hockey for India, serving as captain of that program since 2009. Brar is able to play for India internationally because his parents were born there. Brar also plays ball hockey in Calgary where he has won two bronze medals at the Canadian Ball Hockey Championship. In 2018, Brar worked with the great Hayley Wickenheiser to help bring a women’s hockey team from India to Canada. Once arriving in Canada, the team played games in Vancouver and Calgary. Brar then reunited with the team in India in 2019. “The girls came from the Himalayas,” he said. “Just like Canada, it gets pretty cold there. They have an outdoor hockey rink they just built. The air is thin, and they play hockey from November to March. They embrace the game. It was very special to help a female team from India.” Brar wants all Canadians to be aware that South Asian Canadians cheer for Canada internationally, whether it is the Olympic Winter Games, World Hockey Championships or World Junior Hockey Championships. South Asian Canadians also purchase hockey tickets in huge numbers throughout NHL arenas. “Hockey brings communities together,” he said. “It is a Canadian way of life. Everybody has that opportunity now to play the game.” It is important for Brar that Hockey Night in Canada is now in Punjabi. He states that many South Asian Canadians can relate to Harnaryan Singh because he wears a turban. “It allows my parents who speak Punjabi to enjoy it. We have made incredible strides to promote the diversity of hockey. It is very special to have a person like him represent the South Asian community, the NHL, and Calgary.” Public feedback about Apna Hockey has been positive. Brar wants people to know that they do not just have East Indians or South Asians in their program.
“We have everybody,” he said. “Everybody is equal regardless of the colour of their skin. It is important to treat everybody with respect.” In winning the Willie O’Ree Award, Brar says he was never looking for an individual accolade when running Apna Hockey. He just wanted to give back to the community. Brar was nominated by his wife Gurdeep, who was named Miss Calgary in 2001. In the future, Brar hopes he and Toor can start creating a relationship with the NHL to enhance the diversification of the game at the highest level. With events that took place this past summer, it appears the NHL is taking matters pertaining to race more seriously. In a recent statement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he was dissatisfied that only five per cent of hockey players in the NHL are minorities. Meanwhile, the long term goal for Apna Hockey is to help build a grassroots hockey program in India that could lead to India participating in the Olympic Winter Games in ice hockey. Brar believes that India has the quality and quantity of players for that dream to one day become a reality.
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