A year ago, Conor Geekie kicked off his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing in 49 games, and tallying six goals for 12 points. On Feb. 4, he was sent to the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, where he spent the next few months working on his development.
Getting the news of an AHL assignment wasn’t initially easy for Geekie, but with time he realized how valuable it would be. His older brother, Morgan, a forward for the Boston Bruins, spent two seasons in the AHL and offered him advice.
“He told me, ‘What you did from the start is incredible enough. You played almost 50 games, you did what you wanted to do during the summer, and you started there. Now you just have to keep going. Be ready when the time comes.’”
“I was in a headspace where if I got called up, I got called up,” said Geekie. “I had a standard, obviously, but it wasn’t like, ‘If I score five goals, I’ll get called up.’ I was just playing hockey. It made it so much easier instead of being so hard on myself.”
Geekie joked that his family doesn’t go easy on him, but said it helps keep him humble—a trait evident throughout the Lightning locker room.
In April, the Lightning were short after battling through injuries at the end of the season. Geekie was called back up to Tampa with three games remaining before the team faced the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. A week later, he got his first taste of postseason action, averaging 12:22 of ice time.
“It was awesome. I loved it,” Geekie said of the energy in the playoffs. “I play a bit of a heavier game, so it was right up my alley. It didn't end the way we wanted. I think it brings a lot of hunger to the group.. We have a chip on our shoulder to start the year.”
Currently in his second Lightning training camp, the 21-year old knows the journey to play in Tampa won’t come easy. He’s working hard to secure a roster spot, and enjoying every step of the process this year.
“It's good to be back. It’s good to have some jokes with the guys. The competitive level is definitely there. Like I said, we have a chip on our shoulder..”
Geekie trained in both Toronto and Tampa this summer with Lightning skating coach Barb Underhill and Director of Skill Development, Randi Milani. Their focus was to help him get more confident with the puck.
“That’s when I'm at my best,” Geekie said. “We worked on being faster, stronger, all the usuals.. and focused on my skating.”
Geekie plays a ‘grind-it-out’ game, and hopes to add toughness to the Lightning lineup. He finished last season with 97 hits, ranking him 12th among all rookie NHL forwards.
“He's still a young kid, so there's going to be ups and downs, but he’s a workhorse and he's not afraid to be physical as well,” said Lightning captain Victor Hedman. “We need guys to take steps and he showed us last year that he can contribute on this level. He’s not going to shy away from anything, and that's what you want.”
This year, Geekie’s goal is to play a full season with the Lightning. With two preseason games left, he made it through the latest round of roster cuts on Wednesday.
The Lightning will face the Panthers again on Thursday night at Benchmark International Arena.