Troy Stecher is entering his 11th season in the NHL, the first of a two-year contract with the Maple Leafs, and he still doesn’t feel like he has a secure job.
asserted
he → enter → job
“As a player that’s what you strive for, get a contract to play on an NHL team and try to win a Stanley Cup,” said Stecher.
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Stecher → ’ → Cup
“I’m still very much in that fight, every day trying to prove myself.
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I → ’m → myself
“Belief goes a long way, staying focused on what I can control.
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I → go → what
Just believe in yourself and work hard.”
The 32-year-old Stecher this season is pencilled in as the sixth defenceman, paired on the right side with Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
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Stecher → believe → Larsson
He’s getting pushed for a job by 28-year-old Nick Blankenburg, another right-shot defenceman who is in camp on a professional try-out, as well as Emil Andrae, a 24-year-old left-handed defenceman acquired over the summer in a trade with Philadelphia for goalie Joseph Woll.
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who → push → Woll
It’s conceivable all three make the team after cuts are announced next week, but barring injuries only one will play at a time.
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one → ’ → time
No other No. 1 draft pick has entered the NHL with a softer cushion than the Maple Leafs phenom.
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pick → enter → phenom
What makes the three unique is their size.
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three → make → ?
Blankenburg, who played for Nashville and Colorado last season, and Andrae are five-foot-nine.
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who → play → Nashville
All of them had heard their entire lives that they are too small for the NHL.
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they → hear → NHL
“I just keep believing in myself,” said Blankenburg.
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Blankenburg → keep → myself
“That’s just life in general.
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That → ’ → ?
Like, if somebody tells you you’re not good enough, or you can’t do something, whether it’s hockey or a job, what are you going to do?
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you → tell → what
Be like, Oh, I’m not good enough, I’m not tall enough?
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I → ’m → ?
You have a belief in yourself and proving people wrong.
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You → have → people
I’ve done that for so long, it’s nothing new to me.
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it → do → me
I’ve made it to this point in my hockey career.”
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I → make → career
Blankenburg is from Michigan, growing up as a Red Wings fan.
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Blankenburg → grow → fan
He spent four years at the University of Michigan, captaining the Wolverines in his final year.
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He → spend → year
His next game will be his 177th in the NHL since debuting with the Blue Jackets in the 2021-22 season as a college free agent.
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game → debut → agent
The younger Andrae, a second-round pick of the Flyers in 2020, has 107 games to his credit.
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Andrae → have → credit
Both are trying to establish themselves as everyday NHLers, a hill that would be easier to climb if they were a few inches taller.
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they → try → NHLers
“I know there’s a lot of big guys in this league,” said Andrae.
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Andrae → know → league
“They way I approach it, if you can move your feet, it’s a lot easier.
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it → approach → feet
I’m also pretty competitive.
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I → ’m → ?
I’m not backing down from a battle.
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I → back → battle
I’m trying to get in there.
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I → try → ?
And you have to be a little smarter.”
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you → have → ?
It would appear coach Jim Hiller and GM John Chayka have a different approach to defenceman than their predecessors, who valued six-foot-five Philippe Myers and six-foot-two Marshall Rifai.
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who → appear → Myers
They’re both in the organization, but training with the group that appears destined for the AHL.
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that → ’re → AHL
“I think the league has shifted a bit on that,” said Hiller.
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Hiller → think → that
What you’re seeing is a trend toward skating and up-tempo hockey.”
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seeing → see → skating
The likes of Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes (five-foot-10) and Montreal’s Lane Hutson (five-foot-nine) have created space for smaller players to get a chance to show their speed and skill.
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players → create → speed
“All things considered, you’d want big and fast, but you can’t get that in every single player,” said Hiller.
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Hiller → consider → player
“Different players have different attributes.
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players → have → attributes
If you can play in the NHL and do the job, (size) shouldn’t really matter.
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size → play → job
“All three (Stecher, Blankenburg and Andrae) are competitive,” said Hiller.
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Hiller → say → ?
“If you’re going to be undersized, you’d better be competitive.
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you → go → ?
And we’re seeing that.”
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we → see → that
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
