Stecher drove nearly 2,500 miles from Vancouver to Michigan with his Bernese Mountain Dog Phoebe for his first training camp with the Detroit Red Wings.
Stecher, who signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings on Oct. 10 after four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, did the 35-hour trip in four legs. He spent single nights in Billings, Montana and with former Canucks teammate Brock Boeser in Minnesota. Then he stayed with his girlfriend Emma for two nights in Madison, Wisconsin before finally making it to his new home in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham, Michigan on Dec. 17.
Phoebe, who has gained a following through her Instagram page
@phoebethebernese
, was by his side every stretch of the way. Stecher took breaks to walk her along the trip and said she did great despite the distance and mandatory 10-day quarantine that followed.
"She's a trooper," Stecher said Monday. "I couldn't be more proud of her. There was no way I was coming all the way out here without her."
