The hockey world can be small even at the elite level. Just ask Troy Stecher.
It was back in the spring of 2009 when Stecher first met Travis Green.
He had just wrapped up a successful season with the Richmond Blues and two months later was selected in the seventh round of the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft by the Portland Winterhawks. Green had recently joined the Portland staff as an assistant GM and coach after a long pro career that included 16 years in the NHL.
The encounter proved to be brief as Stecher opted to go a different path and signed with the B.C. Hockey League’s Penticton Vees. Now fast forward to last October when Stetcher enjoyed an impressive first training camp with the Vancouver Canucks and was assigned to their American Hockey League farm team in Utica that happened to be coached by Green.
The stint lasted just four games before Stetcher was re-called to the Canucks where he went on to play 71 games. Green was eventually rewarded for his work too when the Canucks made him their 19th head coach in club history back in April.
Now the pair are reunited this week at Rogers Arena where the Canucks opened their main training camp.
“I’ve known him for a while now but never got to play for him very long,” said Stecher. “He is a really dedicated coach who is super focused and hungry to win. The other side is he was a (NHL) player too. He gets it. He knows what you are going through. He knows the schedule and the outside distractions. I think he is someone who is going to be able to relate to us really well.”
Although the Canucks limped to a 30-43-9 record last season which resulted in a coaching change, Stecher’s play was considered one of the few bright spots.
He signed as an un-drafted free agent with his hometown team shortly after having a leading role in the University of North Dakota winning the NCAA national championship. It didn’t take him long to become a fan favourite, establishing himself at the Young Stars Classic Tournament in Penticton, then continuing the momentum at the Canucks’ main camp.
He headed to Utica for what figured to be a year of seasoning but two weeks later was back in Vancouver where he established himself as a mainstay on the blueline. He finished his rookie campaign with 24 points including three goals.
Stecher returns for his sophomore NHL season with more confidence but is taking nothing for granted at the same time.
“It’s kind of a different scenario this year but at the end of the day it’s the same mindset,” he said. “I need to make sure I deserve to be here and prove to a lot of people that I put in my time this summer. I haven’t got complacent. I’m still trying to improve and be a solution to this team and help us win.”
Stecher says his off-season workouts have better prepared him for the grind of an 82-game schedule.
He had never played more than 43 in a season during his time in North Dakota. Yet, it wasn’t about adding weight to his 5-foot-10 frame as quickness is such a big part of his game. His skating sessions included the familiar surroundings of the Richmond Ice Centre under Derek Popke.
“Coming from college we didn’t play as many games so last year that definitely was an adjustment later on in the season just feeling fatigued,” he added.
“For me it wasn’t about getting bigger. I think speed and quickness are two of my strengths and I didn’t want to take away from that. Definitely wanted to get stronger but didn’t want to add too much mass. I had to find that balance. It was a good summer. I had a lot of good people in place who were leading me in the right direction.”
The Canucks open their pre-season schedule Saturday against the LA Kings.
