Stecher’s father passes away
Peter Stecher, the father of Vancouver Canucks defenceman Troy Stecher, has died.
The Canucks confirmed the news in a statement, extending their condolences to the Stecher family.
Peter Stecher was a passionate hockey fan and a driving force for his son in minor hockey.
You could hear the knot in Doug Low’s throat when he was asked to talk about Peter Stecher on Monday.
Low’s son Brayden, who now plays professionally in the ECHL, was a teammate of Troy Stecher’s for years, starting in their first season of minor hockey at age five.
Low said Peter Stecher was “the centrepiece of their hockey world.”
He coached the boys in minor hockey and put together travel teams in spring and summer.
“He meant so much to our Richmond Minor Hockey Association. He was a very
important figure in a lot of young people’s lives. He was a coach. He taught the kids the basics of the game,” Low said. “Troy was always a cut above, you could tell, but Pete had time for all the kids on the team. He was one of those parents who stepped up. He had a vision of where he wanted to take the team and gave them a passion for the game.”
“He always believed in Troy and where his abilities would take him. He was very proud of him in that way.”
Brayden Low played with his friend Troy for years, until Stecher moved to Penticton to play junior hockey with the Vees.
Meanwhile, the summer teams Peter Stecher assembled featured players from across the Lower Mainland.
“He would recruit all the best kids from the North Shore, Vancouver, Richmond. They would compete all over, flying to Chicago, Boston. He always said, ‘Reach for the sky.’ He was always a believer in being the best you can be,” Doug Low said.
With Jacob Markstrom and Zack MacEwen, Stecher is the third Canucks player to lose his father this season.