Stecher drops the gloves, energizes Oilers to first win of the season
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Troy Stecher may not be the tallest player in the world, but he may just have the biggest heart of anyone in the NHL.
A look at tonight’s game sheet from Edmonton’s 4-3 OT victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, the first win of the season for the Oilers, won’t see Stecher in the scoring column, but the five-minute penalty for fighting may as well be there.
It happened at the midway mark of the third period as the Oilers trailed by a goal. Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner was just smoked behind his net by a 6-foot-4 Sean Couturier in a play that went unpenalized.
Knowing that something had to be done, the 5-foot-10 Stecher took matters into his own hands and fought the Flyers captain on the spot. Not only did he fight someone with six inches on him, but he also held his own.
The roof on Rogers Place nearly blew off when the jumbotron showed Stecher sitting in the box.
Sean Couturier knocks over Stuart Skinner and Troy Stecher comes to his defence. š„ pic.twitter.com/hGtFiHAdLS
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 16, 2024
After this play, the game started to shift toward the Oilers. Edmonton found the back of the net for the equalizer on a beautiful passing play between Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard. Draisaitl eventually found the winner in OT to break Edmonton’s early season slump.
Play La Bamba. pic.twitter.com/s576hggIcV
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 16, 2024
Players were quick to call out the importance of the Stecher fight after the game.
“He’s a tough kid,” Connor Brown said of Stecher with reporters post-game. “[Couturier] had a few inches on him there and [Stecher] stuck in there. He landed some good ones.”
It came at a point where it seemed like the Flyers were content with letting the game roll out without much fanfare. While you never want to see your goaltender get hit like Skinner did, it was the thing that sparked Stecher into action and, conversely, woke the Oilers up enough to grab a victory from the jaws of defeat.
“Stech standing up for a goalie getting run over behind the net was awesome to see,” Adam Henrique said after the game. “Always love that… Guy coming in the lineup the last few games and playing great and wearing his heart on his sleeve so it was great to see.”
This was the sixth time in the 30-year-old Stecher’s career that he dropped the gloves in the NHL and the first time as a member of the Oilers. The last bout he was involved in came while he was a member of the Calgary Flames against Vegas Golden Knights’ forward Paul Cotter in 2023.
It’s a tough business, but Stecher may be the newest fan favourite in the Alberta capital.