CALGARY — Troy Stecher lives exterior of a suitcase and inside the second.
You attempt bouncing between seven groups over 600-plus video games as an undrafted, undersized late-bloomer. You attempt getting traded and waived and scratched and eternally signing short-term offers for what may be your final cease for those who dare ease the gasoline.
Guys just like the Toronto Maple Leafs’ blue line Little Engine That May, they study to get comfy rapidly in new environment.
They usually’re sensible and hungry sufficient to grab alternatives like Monday’s in Calgary — with minute muncher and offensive blueliner Morgan Rielly sidelined.
Humorous, Rielly was the Vancouver-bred D-man who was at all times going to make it. The certain factor with the candy stride and gaudy stats.
Troy from Richmond was simply one other ’94 born, simply making an attempt to chase Rielly’s rep in Western Canadian minor hockey, then his path to the present.
Humorous. You get to a recreation like this, with Stecher consuming a few of Rielly’s minutes, and he will get a shot at 4-on-4 and finishes off a play generated by Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Humorous. One teammate is locked into 2030 with a full no-move clause. The opposite resides each recreation out of a resort, dwelling and away, and has no certainty the place he’ll finish this season or begin the subsequent.
Humorous. Stecher scores a nifty game-winner in a decent 4-2 victory for the Maple Leafs in Calgary, their first regulation win since Jan. 10.
And, thus far, the Maple Leafs are 2-0 in Stecher’s three-game revenge tour via Western Canada. They’ve a shot to run the desk on the righty’s revenge rampage Tuesday in Edmonton.
“I’m a suitcase, clearly,” Stecher cracks, amid three journeys again to properties that didn’t preserve him.
“It is distinctive. Like, going dwelling to Vancouver — began my profession there and thought I’d play my complete profession there, and it modified. I’ve constructed relationships all over the place I went. I’ve loved enjoying all over the place I went.
“Like, I like being a Canuck. I like being a Flame. I like being an Oiler. And now I like being a Maple Leaf, and that’s the place my satisfaction and pleasure lies. However I’m not oblivious to the reminiscences I’ve prior to now, and really lucky for these reminiscences.”
If the Maple Leafs — who did lose in photographs (30-22) and high-danger probabilities (14-5) to the rebuilding Flames — pull off the unattainable, Stecher might be a core reminiscence of this season.
They’ll additionally want extra game-breaking performances by Calgary’s personal William Nylander, whose transformed breakaway on Toronto’s first shot was adopted by a pair of main assists.
“Looks as if the puck is glued to his stick,” mentioned linemate John Tavares.
“I may simply inform he was engaged instantly,” coach Craig Berube added. “Skating. Successful all his puck battles. You understand, offensive performs, offensive. I imply, he was dialed in.”
Along with the winner, he led all Leafs with 4 photographs, logged 20-plus minutes and helped kill the majority of the sport’s solely power-play.
In a number of hours, he’ll return to Edmonton to face a workforce that scratched him in favour of youth and ultimately positioned him on waivers.
“Yeah, I’m excited,” Stecher mentioned. “A bunch of nice relationships there, a whole lot of good reminiscences. By no means acquired the job utterly performed, however simply going to struggle with these guys for so long as I did, I’ve a whole lot of respect for them.”
Virtually as a lot respect as Stecher has earned within the Maple Leafs’ room for his dogged and constant effort.
“Thank God Edmonton let him go,” goaltender Joseph Woll mentioned.
“He’s are available in and simply crammed such a necessity for us. And what I like about him is, he’s simply acquired an important aggressive hearth to him, and he’s simply acquired vitality,” John Tavares provides.
“He’s vocal and competes arduous each shift. Lays all of it on the market and does a whole lot of little issues nicely. And he has some good instincts to leap in when the chance is there.
“Yeah, we talked about the way it’s his western tour right here. End it off the correct approach tomorrow.”
Go 3-0 on the Troy Stecher ’26 All-Canadian Reunion Tour, and possibly, simply possibly, the defenceman who six groups gave up on isn’t the one longshot right here with one other life.
“I imply, the 23, 25 guys in that room, we have now a perception — and that’s all that issues,” Stecher mentioned.
“East is tight, man. Like, we acquired an vital one tomorrow. You don’t need to look too far forward, however I believe we acquired, like, 18 video games in opposition to our convention after the break.
“So, there’s a whole lot of perception in that room, and a whole lot of hockey nonetheless to play.”
We counted. Stecher’s right. Eighteen in-conference video games left.
A man who learns the chances would possibly simply be match to interrupt ’em.
• The Maple Leafs have the fewest energy performs within the NHL (131).
They haven’t seen a power-play in three of their previous 4 video games (though they did get a penalty shot in Vancouver).
Mikael Backlund punched Woll within the head Monday, and so they acquired offsetting calls (Woll for holding the stick, Backlund for roughing).
The place’d the whistles go?
Tavares: “I’m undecided. I’m undecided. Simply enjoying.”
Berube: “I noticed penalties on the market tonight, and I noticed a tripping penalty late within the third that wasn’t known as….
“I don’t know. I don’t have a solution for that. I do, however I’m not going to inform you guys.”
• Impressed commerce bait Nazem Kadri made fast work matching January’s objective whole in February (one) and added a main help for good measure.
“It’s at all times enjoyable to compete in opposition to your pals,” says the previous Leaf, with a smile.
Kadri wears a letter in Calgary and, even at age 35, is considered because the Flames’ greatest participant on many an evening. The veteran mirrored on his varied mentors from his formative days in Toronto.
“Dion (Phaneuf), he’s up there. He’s nonetheless an excellent good friend of mine to today. Colton Orr. Patty Marleau. Guys like that. We had such an important group of vets who confirmed me the ropes,” Kadri mentioned.
“I used to be just a little uncooked once I first got here in; I had lots to study myself. So, I’m comfortable I had these guys round.”
• Berube on goalie fights, the NHL’s new hotness: “I imply, why are they combating? Why aren’t the gamers combating? That’s the way in which I take a look at it. I don’t get it, to be trustworthy with you.
“I’d fairly my goalies not battle. Man pokes your goalie? One of many gamers ought to be doing one thing about it.”
• Congratulations to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and spouse Maja, who’re set to welcome their second youngster in March. Sadly, the defenceman might be heading solo to the Olympics whereas his household stays dwelling.
“Unhappy and blended emotions for them not to have the ability to go, however we all know what’s coming,” he says. “It’s getting just a little bit nearer, and also you gotta simply watch out with wifey and the child within the stomach.”
• Berube hails from Calahoo, Alta. As participant and coach, he’s been rolling via the Saddledome because it opened within the mid-Nineteen Eighties.
Now, he sees the development subsequent door on the brand new barn, Scotia Place, nicely underway. It’s set to open in 2027-28.
“There’s just a little little bit of unhappiness,” says Berube, not sadly. “Nevertheless it’s time. That’s what occurs. It’s time. You gotta get the brand new rink going, so it’ll be nice for the town and the workforce.”
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