Opposition, take note: The newest members of the Arizona Coyotes’ blue line have already bought in to the club’s identity.
That didn’t take long at all.
Defensemen Troy Stecher, Patrik Nemethand Josh Brown each joined the team in July – Stecher and Brown signed during free agency, and Nemeth was acquired from the New York Rangers via trade. The trio brings 959 combined games of experience to the desert, and all three have already started to gel with their new teammates.
Stecher, who recorded four points in four playoff games with the Los Angeles Kings last season, said he signed with the Coyotes because of what the coaches and management have been preaching. The 28-year-old had some familiarity with the team already, considering he and forward Nick Schmaltz remained good friends after playing on North Dakota’s NCAA National Championship team in 2015-16.
He played with Nemeth while the two were with the Detroit Red Wings, and he also played for Coyotes head coach André Tourigny with Team Canada at the 2020-21 World Championship, when Tourigny was an assistant coach.
Those connections have already helped Stecher ease into things with his new club, and his decision to sign with Arizona was heavily influenced by its reputation as being a tough team to play against.
“That was kind of like the main reason why I decided to sign here and come to Arizona; what the coaching staff and management were preaching, and the opportunity presented to myself as an individual player where I could fit in this lineup,” he said. . “I think guys are really excited to take that next step and become a legitimate team in this league, and a team that teams fear to play.”
Stecher was familiar with another name on the club’s roster, Zack Kassian, as the two have faced off against each other on multiple occasions throughout his six-year tenure in the NHL. He admitted that the two weren’t exactly friends prior to becoming teammates, but now that they’re on the same side of the puck, it’s all water under the bridge.
No surprise there.
“I’ve played against [Kassian] for six years, and I know he didn’t like me, I didn’t like him, and you meet him in person and he’s a really nice guy — go grab lunch with him, you have a beer or a coke with him ,” Stecher said. “It’s been really easy, the guys have been really welcoming, and it makes my transition much easier.”
Brown, meanwhile, brings a towering presence to Arizona’s blue line after signing a two-year deal with the team on July 13. He has the exact sandpaper-like trait that Tourigny and his staff have been teaching for the past year, and the 28-year-old stay-at-home defenseman is excited. about what he can bring to the Coyotes.
Brown said he enjoys killing penalties and isn’t afraid to answer the bell if his number is called.
“We want to be relentless, that’s the big word that keeps coming up [Tourigny]the coaching staff, and management as well,” Brown said. “I think we’re going to be a tough team to play against, we’re going to go hard every single night, and I love that so far, and relentless is the key word.
“That’s what we’re going to be this year.”
Brown has played for the Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins since joining the league in 2018-19, and arrived in Arizona a few weeks early to get a jump-start on his familiarity with his new teammates.
“I feel like I’m meshing pretty well with the guys,” Brown said. “It’s been great so far.”
Nemeth, who was drafted 41st overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2010 NHL Draft, has spent his nine-year career with the Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. He played in five postseason games with the Stars in 2013-14, 23 with the Avs from 2017-2021, and five last year with the New York Rangers.
The 30-year-old Stockholm, Sweden native is still adjusting to the desert heat, and said he feels like he’s in a good position to fit in with the Coyotes this season.
He’s witnessed the culture within championship-contending organizations.
“I like to be a player that’s really hard to play against, I like to be very solid defensively, and be reliable,” Nemeth said. “You see the new guys coming in, they have some size and experience, and it’s a good start.
“You see a lot of the teams that are successful, they truly have that. It’s not a cliché, it’s truly something that you have to work with and start with. I think we’re doing a good job, and we have good values. “
Although it’s only two days in, Nemeth said training camp is already off on the right foot.
“I think everybody is working hard to build that culture, I think they really want to do that,” he said. “You can see that from the other practices.
“It’s pretty intense.”
The Coyotes will play their first set of preseason games this weekend – Saturday vs. the St. Louis Blues in Wichita, Kans., and Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks in Tucson. Saturday’s puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 pm Arizona time.
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