Troy Stecher will make his NHL debut when the Canucks face the Senators

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Canucks are in action this evening, hosting the Ottawa Senators at Rogers Arena. Vancouver returns home after dropping its first two road games of the season in California over the weekend. The Canucks will be trying to extend their perfect home record to five games with a win.

Defenceman Troy Stecher will make his NHL debut, replacing the injured Chris Tanev. The 22-year old from Richmond says he can’t believe he is about to play for the team he grew up cheering for.

“As a little kid I grew up wanting to play hockey. I am excited about the opportunity and want to make the most of it. I have worked hard throughout my life to get here. I don’t just want to play one game, I want to make a career out of it. Tonight is the first stepping stone towards that goal.”

Stecher will be jumping right in to the action, paired with Alex Edler. The youngster will also be on the top powerplay unit with the Sedin’s. Coach Willie Desjardins says Stecher deserves the chance to show off his skills.

“I thought he had a good training camp and since he went to Utica he has played very well. We wanted to get him up to the NHL and get him going.”

Jayson Megna will also be making his Canucks debut. He gets in to the lineup because of the injuries to Alex Burrows and Derek Dorsett. Megna says it is nice to be back in the NHL.

“It is something you work so hard for. If you aren’t going to start the season in the NHL, you want to get back up as soon as possible and I felt like I have been putting in some pretty good work in Utica, so it is nice to get the call up.

Megna is expected to be on the fourth line alongside Jake Virtanen and Brendan Gaunce.

It is the first of two meetings between Ottawa and Vancouver this season. The Canucks are in the nation’s capital next Thursday for game two of a six-game road swing.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. and you can watch the game on Sportsnet Vancouver.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today