EDMONTON — Expensive hockey fan: Simply so you recognize.
Troy Stecher doesn’t give a rip what you concentrate on him, and he definitely doesn’t care if Oilers followers are speaking about him this fall.
“I don’t actually care if they’re in the event that they’re not,” stated the 30-year-old journeyman. “Individuals have a predetermined opinion on what I’m, and that’s wonderful. On the finish of the day, I do know what I convey.
“That’s a participant who offers vitality for a crew, successful battles that I most likely shouldn’t. I feel I’ve good toes and I break the puck out. Can transfer the puck effectively.”
That is the story of a small (five-foot-10, 185 lbs.) 494-game veteran defenceman with a giant chip on his shoulder, who’s being handed the ham sandwich within the battle for a job on the Edmonton blue line. He confirmed up in Edmonton to search out himself behind beginner Ty Emberson, who has performed a grand complete of 30 NHL video games.
Emberson is the shiny new toy, and he will get the primary coaching camp reps with Darnell Nurse on the second pairing. In the meantime, Stecher is coming off of late-season ankle surgical procedure; final yr’s Christmas current that’s been busted and shoved in a drawer.
“Simply one other day for me,” Stecher stated of being ignored. “I’ve skilled it earlier than in several organizations.”
He’s really been on each side of the coin, breaking in with the 2016-17 Vancouver Canucks after going undrafted within the NHL Entry Draft.
“My first yr in Vancouver. I most likely was given far more alternative than I deserved popping out of school as an undrafted man. They type of gifted me the facility play with Hank and Danny (Sedin), and that was the one time I ever performed the facility play within the NHL.”
Eight seasons later, Stecher arrived at Oilers camp to see Emberson put in as Nurse’s accomplice on the second pair. The choice isn’t closing, however for now, six-foot-two, 195-pound Emberson will get the nod, and it’s seemingly his job to lose.
“I’m coming off ankle surgical procedure, and I’m certain there’s numerous query marks behind that,” Stecher stated. “All through my profession, there’s most likely been numerous query marks about myself as a participant, being a smaller defenceman that’s not strictly offensive.
“So my mindset is to come back in and earn a job, earn a roster spot. Identical to it has been the previous eight years.”
It’s a small membership, that group of defencemen who’re Stecher’s dimension however don’t gentle it up offensively. He’s a 10-point man who has managed to play nearly 500 video games, one way or the other.
“I don’t care,” Stecher stated. “Individuals are going to have their opinion and I’m going to have the idea in myself and the boldness of my skill. I’ll do my job.”
And the way, precisely, would he describe that course of?
“I’m not a giant bruiser, so generally I won’t interact in a bodily one-on-one battle, understanding I’m going to lose it. However I’m going to have full inside place and look forward to help to come back.
“Over time, I’ve needed to develop a better I.Q. on the ice.”
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Emberson arrived from San Jose within the deal that noticed Cody Ceci head to Northern California. He grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 90 minutes east of Minneapolis, the son of a marine energy sports activities supplier.
“(His father) sells boats, jet skis, four-wheelers, four-by-fours… He likes to say he sells toys for adults in northern Wisconsin,” the 24-year-old stated. “I grew up on the lakes, grew up enjoying hockey, grew up on the yard rinks with all my buddies.”
Someway in simply 30 video games final season, Emberson posted a minus-4 on a Sharks crew that was useless final within the league with a targets differential of minus-150.
He is aware of he landed in the appropriate place: “It’s an unreal alternative for me right here,” Emberson stated.
“I’m only a stable two-way defender. I feel I can skate effectively, and I feel I exploit my physicality as an asset of mine, however I will help out on the PK. I can transfer pucks to the forwards and simply be a constant defender that folks can rely on.”
The job is his to lose. However Stecher gained’t be far-off if Emberson falters, to not point out an anticipated pick-up on the March deadline that may effectively ship one in every of these two to the press field thereafter.
Emberson seems like he belongs. “Simply having the ability to step into this season and know that I’ve performed on this league earlier than, and I’m not the brand new man.”
Stecher, in the meantime, has seen this film earlier than.
“Clearly, based mostly on the pairings all through camp, I’ve my work reduce out for me to show to the teaching employees that I need to play.”
Let the drama unfold.