Troy Stecher’s phone hasn’t stopped buzzing since the former Penticton Vee inked a contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
“I’m obviously excited for the opportunity. It’s surreal, but its my hometown,” said Stecher, 22, of Richmond who is foregoing his senior season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. “It’s not very often that players get that opportunity to go home and have a chance to play for the team they idolized.”
On April 10, Stecher helped the Fighting Hawks win their eighth National Collegiate Athletic Association Frozen Four championship. Stecher was named to the All-Tournament team and was a second team West All-American. He led Fighting Hawks defenceman with eight goals and 21 assists. His career-high 29 points also ranked him sixth in scoring among NCAA blueliners. The five-foot-11, 191-pound defenceman has appeared in 119 NCAA games over three seasons and has collected 53 points (13-40-53). Stecher spent three seasons with the Vees in the BCHL, helping them win an RBC National Junior A championship in 2012, where he was named the Top Defenceman.