Bolts' Geekie suspended 1 game for leaving bench to start fight
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Conor Geekie was suspended one preseason game for leaving the bench on a legal line change for the purpose of starting an altercation during Wednesday's contest, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.
The sequence began in the second period of the Bolts' 2-1 overtime loss when captain Victor Hedman was leveled by Florida Panthers prospect Josh Davies.
Davies 💥 pic.twitter.com/4XhlqFvkR1
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) October 3, 2024
Tampa Bay superstar Nikita Kucherov immediately tossed off his gloves and hauled Davies down in retaliation, earning a two-minute penalty for roughing. Geekie also stood up for Hedman a few minutes later, hopping onto the ice and pursuing Davies for a fight.
Geekie was assessed 19 total penalty minutes on the play: Two minutes for cross-checking and instigating, five minutes for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct.
Here’s another look at the moments before Geekie’s fight with Davies. He certainly goes right at Davies coming off the bench away from the play, camera pans away and then when it turns back, Geekie has Davies wrapped up. #gobolts pic.twitter.com/1C3zz2SMyy
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) October 3, 2024
"It's one of those things, it doesn't matter if it's Heddy or whoever it is," Geekie said postgame. "I think anyone gets hit like that, someone's got to step up. And I figured that I could be that guy. It worked out, but anyone could do it. I'm sure a lot of guys were thinking the same thing as me."
He continued: "Whether it's training camp or not, everyone's got each other's backs. And I think that's why (the Lightning have) been so successful."
Geekie was centering the fourth line in the contest but took a shift on the second line with Anthony Cirelli and Conor Sheary when he dropped the gloves with Davies.
"I looked back and (Geekie's) leg was over the boards, so I kind of assumed what he was going to do," top-six winger Brandon Hagel said. "So I just let him have it, I guess."
He continued: "You gain so much respect, and it just shows the character he has and him understanding the culture in this dressing room. ... As a young guy, everyone has to make their mark somewhere or another to get noticed. ... I know that I can trust him."
The Lightning acquired Geekie from Utah as part of the trade that sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Salt Lake City in June. Selected by the Arizona Coyotes with the 11th overall pick in 2022, Geekie has yet to make his NHL debut.