For a young hockey player still finding his way in the world, Sahil Panwar has a firm grasp of his priorities in life.
The 23-year-old forward wants to help the Wolves win a Calder Cup championship, continue on a path to the National Hockey League and be a sports role model for children of Indian descent—all while enjoying the ride.
Panwar, who scored his first two goals of the season during the Wolves’ 6-0 victory over the Manitoba Moose on Saturday night at Allstate Arena, was born in Mississauga, Ontario, not long after his parents moved to Canada from New Delhi, India. Soon the family was off to Montreal, where Panwar developed his love of hockey despite parents who knew nothing about the sport.
“They saw kids playing on a pond and they were like, ‘let’s put our son out there and see what he can do,’ ” Panwar said with a laugh. “Now I’m here and just trying to enjoy the journey and see where it goes.”
That journey included a move at age 8 to San Jose, Calif., where his mother, Parul, found one of the few youth hockey programs and was the place Sahil started to come into his own as a player.
That prompted a relocation to Los Angeles so the then-13-year-old Panwar could play for the Jr. Kings, coached by former NHLer Nelson Emerson. Two years later, Panwar was off to Detroit to join the famed Honeybaked Hockey Club and that led to him being drafted by the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League in 2018.
Stops after two seasons in London included Flint, Peterborough and Hamilton of the OHL, Cincinnati (ECHL), Hartford (AHL) and Bloomington (ECHL) before arriving to play for the Wolves.
“I’m working from the bottom to the top,” Panwar said. “Nothing has been given to me and I have some ladders to climb but, for me, it’s finding success in this league and things will take care of themselves.
“I’m still 23 and I’m still chipping away and trying to get games played,” he continued. “The coaches here have been great and are giving me positive feedback. I’m trying to enjoy it and play with some jam up here.”
Panwar said that determination to continue to improve and eventually reach the NHL comes from the support of a close-knit family, led by his father, D.K.
“My dad has had my back my whole life—he believes in me,” Sahil said. “I have a small group that really believes in me and know I can make it to the top. I know I can make it, it’s just how I deal with certain setbacks, like getting sent down. No one wants to get sent down, but I could sulk or I could go down there and try to dominate. That’s my mindset.”
Each time Panwar pulls on the Wolves sweater, in the back of his mind he realizes the impact it can have on youngsters who share a similar heritage.
“Hopefully, I can inspire Indian kids who want to play the game,” Panwar said. “I know it’s not the most popular sport for them but throwing a pair of skates on and shooting a puck is one of the best feelings in the world.
“When we played Manitoba, I saw the crowd and there were a lot of Indian people and some came up to me after the game and they were giving me fist bumps because they recognize there aren’t many of us playing and they appreciate what I’ve done,” added Panwar, who visited India when he was 10.
Coming off his two-goal performance, Panwar is looking to build on that and continue making strides.
“I know I can play in this league and dominate,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time and opportunity. I’m looking to find a way each game to impact the game and get noticed.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or down the line but I’m just trying to enjoy every day that I’m in Chicago,” Panwar added. “I love being here and I don’t take it for granted that I’m playing hockey for a living.”
