Teddy Stiga knows himself and his game well.
The 18-year-old NHL draft candidate from Sudbury doesn't need to score hat tricks every night. That's not why he attended Boston University and became a member of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.
“I try harder than anyone. I give it my all,” Stiga said. “Even if I'm not playing my best, I try harder than my opponent.”
That tenacity may be more valuable to some teams than the phenomenal scoring numbers of a youngster or junior. The effort doesn't falter or depend on teammates or opponents.
“He's developed a strong identity as a hockey player that's relatable and repeatable and he's got to be able to do it again,” U.S. U.S. U-18 coach Nick Foh said. “That's the foundation that he can use as a stepping stone to take the next step with the next team.”
Stiga knows what's next: As a freshman at Boston College, he'll join a team made up of his USNTDP compatriots fresh off a Hockey East title and a trip to the national championship game. After that, NHL draft experts are divided on where Stiga will or should be selected. Some rank Stiga in the top half of the first round. Others have him closer to the third round.
“Once the combine is over, you can't really change where you're going to go, so now you just have to wait and see,” Stiga said. “It can be a headache trying to figure that out.”
Whatever the round or pick number, it will be on Friday (7 p.m. ESPN) or Saturday in Las Vegas.
“It hasn't really sunk in yet and it won't sunk in until it happens,” Stiga said. “Obviously, I've met with the team and I know it's a possibility, but it doesn't feel real to be honest.”
“I finally got my stick.”
Stiga is now at the end of one journey and the beginning of another, following in the footsteps of many of the hopefuls and friends he's met along the way, a journey that began on the edge of the ice at Valley Sports Skating School a few miles from his home.
His parents didn't play hockey after high school — they were tennis players — but they put him in skating classes, and he noticed hockey classes on the other side of the ice.
“I'd always wanted to go and get a stick and finally I got one and I fell in love at that moment and I guess I never looked back,” Stiga said.
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Stiga started playing hockey right away after learning how to play. The Assabet program gave him his first opportunity to be a part of a team. He eventually joined the Minutemen Flames and Middlesex Islanders before joining the Boston Junior Eagles.
“Everybody left. I had to find another team,” Stiga said. “Your teammates become your best friends. You develop great relationships.”
Easy migration
His ability to go one-on-one as a seventh-grader intrigued Belmont Hill coach Brian Finney. Stiga dominated matches with his speed and skill, and Finney wondered how his style would work against older players. Three years later, Stiga joined Belmont Hill as a ninth-grader.
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“He adapted quickly when he came to our team and had great vision and game feel,” Finney said. “He gets where he's going before the puck gets there. He can read ahead. It was a very easy transition.”
On and off the ice, Stiga excelled in Belmont Hill's rigorous academic environment: He was a standout lacrosse player and competed on the freshman soccer team.
It all paid off for hockey: He attended games at the Pond on his days off, often asking Finney deep questions, like the shape of the power play and what the Sextants hoped to accomplish with it.
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“He's truly a student of the game. You don't get many people who ask why and look at the little details,” Finney said. “He stood out as someone who understood the game at that young age. It's rare to find someone with that kind of IQ at any age.”
Or the talent of a U17 prospect. Stiga continued to play well for his club and eventually received an invitation to join the USNTDP. He, like most players who receive offers, wanted to sign the contract immediately, but his family was skeptical of the education system. All members of the team moved to Michigan to live with host families and complete high school online due to the program's rigorous travel schedule.
“I knew this was the best choice for me,” Stiga said. “It felt great and it's one of the biggest goals I've ever achieved in my life.”
Join the Brotherhood
The USNTDP offered a unique education: It was the first time Stiga had left home, had to do his own laundry and cook his own meals, and, while most of his teammates were rookies, he had to find his place among them, since there was no seniority because they were his age.
“The successful teams I've coached have had players who stood out as great personalities. They're not afraid to speak up and say something, even if they're just having fun. They're at the center of everything that's going on,” Faux said. “Teddy was one of those players who was always at the center of everything. He was comfortable in his own skin and comfortable having conversations with adults and being his whole self.”
As he played, Stiga fit in better with the team. He only had 21 points in 49 games at the U-17 level. That figure improved to 79 points in 61 games last season. The U.S. team won the silver medal at the U-18 World Championships in Finland, with Stiga often playing on the top line with future BC teammate James Hagens and Minnesota-bound Brodie Zimmer.
“Playing an international game against a team like Canada in a U.S. uniform is an experience I'll never forget because it's not something you get to do every day,” he said. “The hockey players are always there. What I remember most fondly are my teammates. It was one of the closest teams I've ever been on. When you live with them for two years, they're not just teammates, they become like brothers.”
That camaraderie extends to BC, where he'll be playing alongside two of his current U-18 teammates and a few holdovers from previous classes. Stiga is looking forward to playing closer to home and returning to school for the first time in several years.
“Their team is incredible,” he said. “I'm looking forward to the college experience and the hockey that comes with it and all of that.”
And then there's hockey. When you choose Stiga, you know what you're getting. He's built his identity around hard work, and while he hates making mistakes, he also embraces them. When they happen, it's an opportunity to learn and improve.
“He has a motor that just never stops. He flies all over the ice. Sometimes you wish he'd stop and start and play with a little more purpose, but he never gives up on a play. He backchecks really hard and strips guys from behind and creates offensive opportunities for his team,” Faux said. “He just keeps going. It's invaluable to have a guy that competes that hard and works that hard every shift.”
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter). Follow.
