Troy Stecher reflects on 2025-26 season, expresses desire to remain with Maple Leafs

In a season that was filled with great anger and disappointment, Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenceman Troy Stecher did all he could to bring some life and energy to the club’s lineup.

Originally claimed off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers on November 15, Stecher ended up skating in 58 games with the Maple Leafs and registered three goals and 14 assists. The 32-year-old’s 14 points was the best mark since the 2019-20 season when he totalled 17 as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

On Wednesday, Stecher joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to discuss his tenacious style of play, the firings of Brad Treliving and Craig Berube, and what his future may hold in a Maple Leafs uniform.

Right away, Stecher showed a compete and passion level that resonated with many Maple Leafs fans. It was during a December contest against the Ottawa Senators, in which the Maple Leafs prevailed with a 7-5 victory, that Stecher’s emotion shone through. Following a scrum-filled contest, including one after the final buzzer, which Stecher was a part of, the defenceman fired up the crowd as everything boiled over, a nice touch on what felt like an emotionless year.

“That’s just who I am, and what I pride myself on as an individual player. It’s what I feel I’ve tried to bring to every team I’ve been on, no matter the level,” Stecher said. “Looking at both my North Dakota and pro career, I’m probably not the prototypical undersized defenceman. I don’t put up a lot of points, so I pride myself on playing with a lot of compete, pride, and tenacity.”

The Maple Leafs ended the regular season with a 32-36-14 record, good for last place in the Atlantic Division, which ultimately led to massive changes throughout the organization. Treliving was fired on March 30, and Berube was relieved of his duties on May 13. While much of the blame was placed on Berube this season, Stecher backed his former head coach and stated there is much more to go around.

“I was disappointed, similarly to when Tre [Treliving] was let go. I feel like at the end of the day, the onus is on the players, and we as a group obviously failed, and that’s what happens when you don’t meet the standard that is expected of you,” Stecher said. “There’s going to be changes, and unfortunately, he’s [Berube] the fall guy. I had a lot of respect for Chief [Berube], I love playing for him, and he’s a great man. He’s a great coach, and unfortunately, it’s part of the job.”

When the 2025-26 Stanley Cup playoffs end, Stecher will become an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to enter the market and choose to sign with the team he sees as the best fit. Whether or not Stecher will return remains to be seen, but the defenceman enjoyed his time during his one season in the organization.

“It was great, and I have really fond memories of playing here. It’s a world-class organization, and who knows what’s going to happen here in the off-season with all the changes we’ve had,” Stecher said. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I hope I’m back. I really enjoyed being a Leaf, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

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