The Free Press’s Helene St. James focuses on two Red Wings players who are new to the team in Troy Stecher and Vladislav Namestnikov, noting that there are certain companions who have helped both players adjust to their new NHL homes:
[Vladislav] Namestnikov has the advantage of having lived in the metro area since he was a kid. On the other hand, defenseman Troy Stecher drove in mid-December from Vancouver to Detroit – with his Bernese Mountain dog, Phoebe.
“We’re living out in Birmingham,” Stecher said. “We’ve found a couple parks here and there’s a good trail I’ve been walking around. People are very friendly in the neighborhood saying good morning every day, saying hi. I’m sure they have no idea who I am. It’s a beautiful town. I’m very happy I’m living out there.”
Stecher noted that while he knew Dylan Larkin also had a similar dog, “he’s got a Bernedoodle, it’s got a little poodle it in so it’s a little smarter than my dog.”
Stecher broke up [35-hour] the trip. The first night he stayed in Billings, Montana, where he said he felt comfortable because “it’s pretty outdoors-y, so I figured they’d allow my dog in the hotel.
“The second night I drove to Minnesota. I actually stayed with Brock Boeser, who I played with in Vancouver and I actually played with him at North Dakota, so we’ve become really, really good friends. And then I went to Madison, Wisconsin, where my girlfriend lives. I spent two nights there to break up the trip. And then on Friday I came in here and started my quarantine.”
Continued; St. James also adds this from Bobby Ryan:
“My wife and I have been able to get out and have some dinners in the outdoor bubbles,” Ryan said. “See the area. My wife is excited – there’s no Trader Joe’s in Canada, or Nino Salvaggio, so those stores are costing me a bundle right now.”
Update: In video form…
