# Robin Bawa

Robin N. Bawa (born March 26, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent parts of four seasons in the National Hockey League between 1989 and 1994.

## Playing career

Bawa spent five productive seasons of junior hockey in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers, but was passed over in the NHL Entry Draft. Finally, after a 57-goal performance in the 1986–87 season, Bawa earned a pro contract from the Washington Capitals.
Bawa turned pro the following season, spending the year in the IHL with the Fort Wayne Komets. While Bawa had been primarily a skill player in junior, he began to fight more often in pro hockey and developed into an enforcer. He averaged over 200 penalty minutes in his first three years in Washington's system, finally earning a five-game callup to the Capitals in 1989–90, during which he scored his first NHL goal, against Alain Chevrier and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bawa played one more season in the Capitals' system, posting 381 penalty minutes in Fort Wayne but not seeing any more NHL action, before being dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in 1991. He played two games for the Canucks in 1991–92, and set a career high with 27 goals in the IHL. He also dressed up for one game in the 1992 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Canucks, his only playoff appearance in the NHL.
Early in the 1992–93 season, Bawa was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, where he had his most prolonged NHL stint. He spent most of the rest of the season in the NHL, scoring 5 goals in 42 games and posting 47 penalty minutes.
Bawa was exposed in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft and claimed by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He played 12 more NHL games in 1993–94, registering his only career assist.
Following his release from the Ducks, Bawa continued to toil in the IHL for five more seasons, three of those back in Fort Wayne, before a concussion ended his career near the end of the 1998–99 season. He finished his IHL career with 147 goals and 175 assists in 565 career games along with 1,869 penalty minutes.
Bawa is the first person of Indian descent to play in the NHL, where he achieved six goals and one assist in 61 games, while collecting 60 penalty minutes.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1982–83 | Kamloops Junior Oilers | WHL | 66 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1983–84 | Kamloops Junior Oilers | WHL | 64 | 16 | 28 | 44 | 40 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 1984–85 | New Westminster Bruins | WHL | 26 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 26 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 25 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 14 |
| 1985–86 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 63 | 29 | 43 | 72 | 78 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 4 |
| 1986–87 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 62 | 57 | 56 | 113 | 91 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 22 |
| 1987–88 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 55 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 239 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 24 |
| 1988–89 | Baltimore Skipjacks | AHL | 75 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 205 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Baltimore Skipjacks | AHL | 61 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 189 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 49 |
| 1990–91 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 72 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 381 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 87 |
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991–92 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 70 | 27 | 14 | 41 | 238 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 1992–93 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 42 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Hamilton Canucks | AHL | 23 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 25 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 54 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 1994–95 | Kalamazoo Wings | IHL | 71 | 22 | 12 | 34 | 184 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 48 |
| 1995–96 | San Francisco Spiders | IHL | 77 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 234 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1996–97 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 54 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 181 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 58 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 74 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 194 | — | — | — | — | — |
| IHL totals | IHL totals | IHL totals | 565 | 147 | 175 | 322 | 1869 | 54 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 223 |
| AHL totals | AHL totals | AHL totals | 159 | 33 | 46 | 79 | 452 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 49 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 61 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Awards and achievements

* WHL West First All-Star Team (1986–87)
* BC Sports Hall of Fame (2020)