Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Rarely – very rarely – does the always-on-the-go world of pro hockey allow for homecomings.
So far the career of Jujhar Khaira has taken him from Oklahoma City and Bakersfield in the American Hockey League, to Edmonton, Chicago and Saint Paul in the NHL, and most recently Des Moines and Syracuse back in the AHL.
Now, Khaira is playing back home for the first time since he was a 17-year-old in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. After moving here, there and everywhere for that next opportunity, hockey has brought Khaira to the Abbotsford Canucks, just a quick drive down Highway 1 from his hometown of Surrey, B.C., just outside of Vancouver.
After signing an AHL contract with Syracuse over the summer, Khaira missed the start of this season due to injury, making his debut with the Crunch on Jan. 10. He produced nine points (three goals, six assists) in 18 games before last weekend’s trade to Abbotsford.
“At first it’s a shock,” Khaira told reporters Tuesday after his first game following the trade. “But now being here, it’s familiar and I like that. It was an easy transition.”
The Canucks are in a stretch-drive fight heading into the final weeks of the regular season. Abbotsford is in the middle of the Pacific Division race, comfortable enough for a playoff spot though hardly in a position yet to consider anything secured. They are fifth in the Pacific Division after sweeping a pair of games at home this week from the Condors, one of their divisional pursuers. Next up is a two-game home set with the Calgary Wranglers, who sit only three points ahead of the Canucks.
Khaira can fit in with the Canucks as a power forward, offering depth and reliability. And there is that experience – 337 NHL games including six years (2017-23) spent exclusively in the show.
Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra – like Khaira one of the few players of Punjabi descent to play in the NHL – immediately teamed Khaira with Aatu Räty and Sammy Blais, a line with ample experience that can come together quickly. Räty, who has played 21 games in Vancouver this season, is an established two-way center while Blais and Khaira are both NHL veterans who can move and close on opposing defenders quickly. The trio combined for the final goal in the Canucks’ 6-2 win over Bakersfield on Tuesday, and struck again in Wednesday’s 2-1 rematch victory.
It has been a long, injury-plagued road for Khaira back to B.C. Drafted by Edmonton in 2012, he played seven seasons in the organization before signing as a free agent with Chicago in 2021. He missed nearly a month of the 2021-22 season with a head injury following a scary hit from the Rangers’ Jacob Trouba, then needed season-ending back surgery. He played just 23 games last season between Iowa and Minnesota, and then missed the first three months this year. But with 15 games still to go for Abbotsford, he can pack a lot of action in before the Calder Cup Playoffs.
And Khaira will take any edge gained by coming close to home to comfortable surroundings. He said that his father and fiancée attended his Canucks debut. He trains in the area during the offseason, and he’s familiar with a portion of the Abbotsford roster as well.
That familiarity is key for Khaira. There’s little time for adjustment – new team, new linemates, new opponents, it’s go time.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Khaira said. “Everybody here has been fantastic. They’ve made it really easy for me.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
