<p>Troy Stecher was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers<a href="https://bola.oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-2023-24-player-review-troy-stecher"> before the trade deadline last season</a> and played in seven regular-season games. He was unavailable to play in the postseason due to needing ankle surgery to remove a cyst that had become badly infected and worsened over time.</p>
<p>That said, the 30-year-old must’ve left enough of an impression in his brief playing time with the Oilers, because the team re-signed him in July to a two-year deal worth $787,500 annually.</p>
<p>Initially, he may have been pegged as the seventh defenceman this upcoming season. Still, with the departures of <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/monday-musings-offer-sheets-oilers-defence-hiking-and-more">Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg</a>, the 5-foot-10, 184-pound blueliner may play a more significant role on the Oilers&#8217; blue line in 2024-25. Having said that, below are some interesting facts about him.</p>
<h2>Stecher Was Overlooked at the Draft but Proved Teams Wrong</h2>
<p>Despite being eligible for the 2012 NHL Draft, Stecher’s name wasn’t called. He <a href="//www.nytimes.com/athletic/854801/2019/04/03/what-makes-troy-stecher-tick-stories-on-his-road-from-richmond-to-the-canucks/">remembered</a>, “I got one email, from the Florida Panthers. It was a questionnaire. That was all I got. That was my 17-year-old year, my first year of eligibility. My second year I got nothing,”</p>
<p>The Richmond, BC native started playing for the Penticton Vees in the BCHL in 2010 before becoming draft-eligible and played three seasons with them. That said, his numbers—89 points in 105 games over his final two seasons—weren’t exactly attention-grabbing, especially for a player who was considered undersized at 5-foot-10.</p>
<p>After that, he committed to the University of North Dakota and it didn’t take long for him to earn his spot on the blue line. Six of their seven other D-men had been drafted by NHL teams; however, Stecher was only one of two blueliners to suit up in every single game in 2013-14.</p>
<p>Stecher was named alternate captain in 2015-16 with the Fighting Hawks, who won the NCAA Division I national championship, and he was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. After that, NHL teams could no longer overlook the D-man, who put up 29 points in 43 games with North Dakota and was named <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/getting-to-know-troy-stecher-and-where-hell-fit-on-the-edmonton-oilers">NCHC Offensive Defenceman of the Year</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congratulations to junior All-America defenseman <a href="https://twitter.com/troystecher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@troystecher</a>, who has signed with the <a href="https://twitter.com/VanCanucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VanCanucks</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNDproud?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNDproud</a> <a href="https://t.co/lGqePptj07">pic.twitter.com/lGqePptj07</a></p>
<p>&mdash; North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDmhockey/status/720384485926129665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Moreover, as many as 20 NHL teams wanted to sign him—<a href="https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/drake-caggiulas-college-teammate-troy-stecher-having-success-with-canucks">including the Oilers</a>—but he eventually signed an entry-level deal with the Vancouver Canucks in April 2016 and has been playing in the NHL ever since.</p>
<h2>Stecher Is a Big Lego Guy</h2>
<p>One of Stecher’s hobbies outside of hockey is building with Legos, a pastime he enjoyed as a kid and rediscovered as an adult. In a<a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/hours-troy-stecher-lego-hobby/"> 2019 segment of CBC’s ‘<em>After Hours</em>,’</a> he was asked about his fascination with Legos and explained his passion:</p>
<blockquote><p>“I went back to my mom’s house and I found my big box of Lego, it was probably three feet by three feet and I just kind of had the urge to start building again, so I went to the mall one day and I went to the lego store and bought a couple Star Wars sets, probably made about 15 of them and now I’m building that [big] house—that’s all from scratch and creativity from my mind.”</p></blockquote>
<h2>Stecher Won Silver &amp; Gold Medals With Team Canada Alongside Current Oilers Teammates</h2>
<p>Stecher has suited up for Team Canada on several occasions, winning <a href="https://www.pentictonvees.ca/news-vees-alum-stecher-named-to-team-canada-for-world-hockey-championship">a gold medal with Canada West</a> at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge.</p>
<p>He was also named to the 2019 IIHF World Championships, where he played alongside his future Oilers’ teammates Adam Henrique and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/darnell-nurse-to-play-for-team-canada-at-world-hockey-championships">Darnell Nurse</a> and he played in ten games, recording three points (one goal and two assists). The Oilers&#8217; D-man initially started on the third pairing but eventually worked his way up to the top pair with Thomas Chabot, and helped Team Canada win a silver medal.</p>
<p>The blueliner was also named to the 2021 Team Canada squad at the World Championships, where he played an even larger role, playing big minutes on the blue line alongside the Buffalo Sabres’ Owen Power. Team Canada had a rocky start, losing <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/four-fun-facts-about-edmonton-oilers-new-addition-adam-henrique">their first three games to go 0-3</a>, but they managed to rally and advance to the quarter final against Russia.</p>
<p>In the quarterfinal against the Russians, Stecher made one of the most clutch plays of his hockey career. With the score tied 1-1 in overtime, he pulled off a couple of slick toe-drags and then slid the puck over to Andrew Mangiapane, who scored the game-winning goal and they advanced all the way to the final game where they beat Finland 3-2 in OT.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Unreal moves by Troy Stecher to feed Andrew Mangiapane for the overtime winner vs. Russia to advance to the semis at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IIHFWorlds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IIHFWorlds</a>! </p>
<p>Type of moves you see in shinny hockey. 🇨🇦 <a href="https://t.co/ZQoYXQVJsH">pic.twitter.com/ZQoYXQVJsH</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Grady Sas (@GradySas) <a href="https://twitter.com/GradySas/status/1400537692136300545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Overall, Team Canada united as a team to win gold, with key contributions from captain Henrique and Oiler <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-adam-henrique-could-be-the-key-to-unlock-connor-browns-offence">Connor Brown</a>, who led the tournament with 16 points and set up the OT goal in the gold medal game. Additionally, Stecher played the most minutes of any player in the final game (27:46).</p>
<h2>Stecher Once Drove 35 Hours With His Dog From Vancouver to Detroit</h2>
<p>After four seasons with the Canucks, Stecher signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings in October 2020, during the height of the pandemic.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">New <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitRedWings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitRedWings</a> defenseman Troy Stecher drove 35 hours from Vancouver to Detroit — with his dog. </p>
<p>“There was no way I was coming out here without her,” he said. <a href="https://t.co/IGRjOtAlYZ">pic.twitter.com/IGRjOtAlYZ</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Brad Galli (@BradGalli) <a href="https://twitter.com/BradGalli/status/1346314200151425025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>That said, he <a href="https://www.bardown.com/troy-stecher-took-a-very-very-long-road-trip-with-the-best-companion-imaginable-1.1573706">opted to drive from Vancouver to Detroit</a>, a distance of almost 4,000 kilometres. The journey, which included several stops, took him 35 hours, and he made the trip with a loyal travel companion—his dog, Phoebe.</p>
<p>He said at the time, “I have a Bernese Mountain dog, her name is Phoebe. She was a trooper, I couldn’t be more proud of her and there was no way I was coming out here without her.”</p>
<h2>Stecher Has a Very Detailed Pre-Game Routine</h2>
<p>Stecher, like most professional athletes, follows a set pre-game routine. The 30-year-old mentioned to <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/its-very-personal-troy-stecher-lays-out-what-makes-his-game-day-routine-different-from-most-players"><em>the Hockey News</em></a> after being traded to the Oilers last March, “It’s all based on the game clock. We have a clock that starts at 60 minutes, so once it starts, there are certain minute marks that trigger what I’m going to do.” He added, “The 60-minute mark is one, then 55, 53, 48, 43, 40, 28, 20, and we are on the ice at 16. So, I kind of have guidelines based on the clock.”</p>
<p>The D-man clarified that his routine isn’t driven by superstition but is meant to keep him loose. He explained his pre-game routine in more detail during his time with the Canucks, noting that it begins the moment he arrives at the rink and continues until he leaves. He stated on ‘<em>After Hours</em>’:</p>
<blockquote><p>“I was always a Lebron fan, that’s how it started, he kind of did the chalk. In juniors I had this spinorama move that I always did coming down the wing, so I always try to incorporate that in warm-up just to get my edges going, so I do that by the bench. I grab a water bottle, spin, sit there, check the clock, kind of stare down an opponent— try to intimidate them, I’m not very intimidating but I always kind of like to think I am, shoot a little water in the air and get off the ice.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Given that the Oilers’ D-man will likely play more minutes this season, his pre-game routine is something fun for Oilers fans to keep an eye on during warm-ups at Rogers Place this upcoming season. With everything considered, how much playing time do you expect Stecher to get in 2024-25?</p>
<h2><strong>ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365</strong></h2>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="325" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>


Troy Stecher was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers<a href="https://bola.oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-2023-24-player-review-troy-stecher"> before the trade deadline last season</a> and played in seven regular-season games. He was unavailable to play in the postseason due to needing ankle surgery to remove a cyst that had become badly infected and worsened over time.

That said, the 30-year-old must’ve left enough of an impression in his brief playing time with the Oilers, because the team re-signed him in July to a two-year deal worth $787,500 annually.

Initially, he may have been pegged as the seventh defenceman this upcoming season. Still, with the departures of <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/monday-musings-offer-sheets-oilers-defence-hiking-and-more">Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg</a>, the 5-foot-10, 184-pound blueliner may play a more significant role on the Oilers' blue line in 2024-25. Having said that, below are some interesting facts about him.
<h2>Stecher Was Overlooked at the Draft but Proved Teams Wrong</h2>
Despite being eligible for the 2012 NHL Draft, Stecher’s name wasn’t called. He <a href="//www.nytimes.com/athletic/854801/2019/04/03/what-makes-troy-stecher-tick-stories-on-his-road-from-richmond-to-the-canucks/">remembered</a>, “I got one email, from the Florida Panthers. It was a questionnaire. That was all I got. That was my 17-year-old year, my first year of eligibility. My second year I got nothing,”

The Richmond, BC native started playing for the Penticton Vees in the BCHL in 2010 before becoming draft-eligible and played three seasons with them. That said, his numbers—89 points in 105 games over his final two seasons—weren’t exactly attention-grabbing, especially for a player who was considered undersized at 5-foot-10.

After that, he committed to the University of North Dakota and it didn’t take long for him to earn his spot on the blue line. Six of their seven other D-men had been drafted by NHL teams; however, Stecher was only one of two blueliners to suit up in every single game in 2013-14.

Stecher was named alternate captain in 2015-16 with the Fighting Hawks, who won the NCAA Division I national championship, and he was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. After that, NHL teams could no longer overlook the D-man, who put up 29 points in 43 games with North Dakota and was named <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/getting-to-know-troy-stecher-and-where-hell-fit-on-the-edmonton-oilers">NCHC Offensive Defenceman of the Year</a>.

https://twitter.com/UNDmhockey/status/720384485926129665

Moreover, as many as 20 NHL teams wanted to sign him—<a href="https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/drake-caggiulas-college-teammate-troy-stecher-having-success-with-canucks">including the Oilers</a>—but he eventually signed an entry-level deal with the Vancouver Canucks in April 2016 and has been playing in the NHL ever since.
<h2>Stecher Is a Big Lego Guy</h2>
One of Stecher’s hobbies outside of hockey is building with Legos, a pastime he enjoyed as a kid and rediscovered as an adult. In a<a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/hours-troy-stecher-lego-hobby/"> 2019 segment of CBC’s ‘<em>After Hours</em>,’</a> he was asked about his fascination with Legos and explained his passion:
<blockquote>“I went back to my mom’s house and I found my big box of Lego, it was probably three feet by three feet and I just kind of had the urge to start building again, so I went to the mall one day and I went to the lego store and bought a couple Star Wars sets, probably made about 15 of them and now I’m building that [big] house—that’s all from scratch and creativity from my mind.”</blockquote>
<h2>Stecher Won Silver &amp; Gold Medals With Team Canada Alongside Current Oilers Teammates</h2>
Stecher has suited up for Team Canada on several occasions, winning <a href="https://www.pentictonvees.ca/news-vees-alum-stecher-named-to-team-canada-for-world-hockey-championship">a gold medal with Canada West</a> at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge.

He was also named to the 2019 IIHF World Championships, where he played alongside his future Oilers’ teammates Adam Henrique and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/darnell-nurse-to-play-for-team-canada-at-world-hockey-championships">Darnell Nurse</a> and he played in ten games, recording three points (one goal and two assists). The Oilers' D-man initially started on the third pairing but eventually worked his way up to the top pair with Thomas Chabot, and helped Team Canada win a silver medal.

The blueliner was also named to the 2021 Team Canada squad at the World Championships, where he played an even larger role, playing big minutes on the blue line alongside the Buffalo Sabres’ Owen Power. Team Canada had a rocky start, losing <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/four-fun-facts-about-edmonton-oilers-new-addition-adam-henrique">their first three games to go 0-3</a>, but they managed to rally and advance to the quarter final against Russia.

In the quarterfinal against the Russians, Stecher made one of the most clutch plays of his hockey career. With the score tied 1-1 in overtime, he pulled off a couple of slick toe-drags and then slid the puck over to Andrew Mangiapane, who scored the game-winning goal and they advanced all the way to the final game where they beat Finland 3-2 in OT.

https://twitter.com/GradySas/status/1400537692136300545

Overall, Team Canada united as a team to win gold, with key contributions from captain Henrique and Oiler <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-adam-henrique-could-be-the-key-to-unlock-connor-browns-offence">Connor Brown</a>, who led the tournament with 16 points and set up the OT goal in the gold medal game. Additionally, Stecher played the most minutes of any player in the final game (27:46).
<h2>Stecher Once Drove 35 Hours With His Dog From Vancouver to Detroit</h2>
After four seasons with the Canucks, Stecher signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings in October 2020, during the height of the pandemic.

https://twitter.com/BradGalli/status/1346314200151425025

That said, he <a href="https://www.bardown.com/troy-stecher-took-a-very-very-long-road-trip-with-the-best-companion-imaginable-1.1573706">opted to drive from Vancouver to Detroit</a>, a distance of almost 4,000 kilometres. The journey, which included several stops, took him 35 hours, and he made the trip with a loyal travel companion—his dog, Phoebe.

He said at the time, “I have a Bernese Mountain dog, her name is Phoebe. She was a trooper, I couldn’t be more proud of her and there was no way I was coming out here without her.”
<h2>Stecher Has a Very Detailed Pre-Game Routine</h2>
Stecher, like most professional athletes, follows a set pre-game routine. The 30-year-old mentioned to <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/its-very-personal-troy-stecher-lays-out-what-makes-his-game-day-routine-different-from-most-players"><em>the Hockey News</em></a> after being traded to the Oilers last March, “It’s all based on the game clock. We have a clock that starts at 60 minutes, so once it starts, there are certain minute marks that trigger what I’m going to do.” He added, “The 60-minute mark is one, then 55, 53, 48, 43, 40, 28, 20, and we are on the ice at 16. So, I kind of have guidelines based on the clock.”

The D-man clarified that his routine isn’t driven by superstition but is meant to keep him loose. He explained his pre-game routine in more detail during his time with the Canucks, noting that it begins the moment he arrives at the rink and continues until he leaves. He stated on ‘<em>After Hours</em>’:
<blockquote>“I was always a Lebron fan, that’s how it started, he kind of did the chalk. In juniors I had this spinorama move that I always did coming down the wing, so I always try to incorporate that in warm-up just to get my edges going, so I do that by the bench. I grab a water bottle, spin, sit there, check the clock, kind of stare down an opponent— try to intimidate them, I’m not very intimidating but I always kind of like to think I am, shoot a little water in the air and get off the ice.”</blockquote>
Given that the Oilers’ D-man will likely play more minutes this season, his pre-game routine is something fun for Oilers fans to keep an eye on during warm-ups at Rogers Place this upcoming season. With everything considered, how much playing time do you expect Stecher to get in 2024-25?
<h2><strong>ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365</strong></h2>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="325" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>

5 interesting facts about Oilers defenceman Troy Stecher

Recent articles from Sean Panganiban

Breaking News