Richmond's Troy Stecher has been named one of five finalists for the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Top Defenseman Award.
This is the first time the award is presented on a national level and is one of five newly created national player awards.
Stecher, 19, just concluded his three-year BCHL career with the Penticton Vees. This past season, the Richmond Minor Hockey graduate set career highs in goals (eight) assists (36) and points (46) in 52 regular season games, and was named Interior Conference Defenseman of the Year. Stecher was also named a First Team All-Star in the Interior Conference. In the postseason, he led his team to their second consecutive Fred Page Cup Final and collected six assists in 15 playoff games.
The Vees captain is one of the most decorated players in the BCHL in recent memory.
In 2012 Stecher was named a Second Team BCHL All-Star, and was a double medalist with Team Canada West at the World Junior 'A' Challenge tournament.
Stecher won gold in 2011 in Langley and silver in 2012 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
He is one of just three players to win a WJAC gold medal and the RBC Cup in the same season; the other two are former Vees in Travis St. Denis and Curtis Loik. Stecher was also named the Top Defenseman at the 2012 RBC Cup in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
Over his three-year career, Stecher amassed 22 goals and 130 points in 198 career games with Penticton.
Including the 2012 Doyle and RBC Cup, he played in 209 games.
Stecher is off to the University of North Dakota next fall and will be joined by teammate Wade Murphy.
