Troy Stecher on what he can bring to the Leafs' lineup: "I've been told no my whole life as a smaller guy... I play with a lot of motivation and a bit of a chip on my shoulder"

"Just excitement, obviously. I am excited for a fresh start. Seeing the team, how competitive they are, and where they are in the standings, I knew it would be a motivated group I'd be joining. It kind of goes hand-in-hand with the way I play; I play with a lot of motivation and a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I think that is the way the team is as well."

"I don't know if I was necessarily told no. I know why I was put on waivers; it was a numbers game. They were trying to get younger internally on the backend. They had two really good, younger defensemen in Emberson and Regula come up, and I was pushed to the side. That is the way the business works. I was on the other side of it when I came into the league; you kind of push some older guys out."

Troy Stecher was claimed off waivers by the Maple Leafs and felt excitement for a fresh start with a highly competitive, motivated group. He describes his playing style as energetic and driven, carrying a chip on his shoulder from being undersized and repeatedly told "no" throughout his path to the NHL. Now in his tenth professional year and seventh team, he says roster numbers in Edmonton and emergence of younger defensemen led to his placement on waivers. He recalls great memories in Edmonton, relationships formed, an ankle surgery that cost playoff time, a period of low confidence, and later being re-signed.

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