On Sunday, as the Tampa Bay Lightning Morning skates were about to end, a familiar face took the center stage, leading the team’s stretch.
Rookie forward Conor Geekie entered the central hockey circle, and his teammates were warmly welcomed, returning to the 20-year-old forward after being recalled from the American Hockey League (AHL) on Sunday morning.
“Everyone was very enthusiastic. Obviously, it was a little good, so it was nice to catch up,” Geekie said. “The guys have family and stuff, so I congratulate them. But everyone is open.”
The match against the Buffalo Saber on Sunday at 6 p.m. since February 1 will be Geekie's first match.
Geekie has spent some time with AHL's Syracuse Crunch in the past two months, a stop to success and professional growth.
Geekie scored 11 goals and 9 assists in 24 AHL games and scored 20 points. His 11 goals are fourth in any player in Syracuse this season.
“Super fun,” he said of the blow. “I think to go there, I'm obviously trying to take advantage of all the resources there. But again, it's very interesting. These guys are illusory, obviously the coaching staff and support are incredible.”
Geekie has been trying to improve over the past few months, but it can be improved.
His core strength and skating are two of the focus of young forwards, helping with lightning skating coach Barbara Underhill and skill development director Randi Milani.
“We just tried to separate everything,” Geekie said. “I asked a lot of questions and I tried to criticize myself. She (Underhill) did a great job in this and she was the support I needed when skating, that's for sure.”
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Sunday morning that he was eager to see the improvement firsthand, and also praised the Syracuse staff.
“One thing about the American Hockey League, especially the actions operated in our organizations, is great for development. Geeks has made a great career in his career and to be there, only get more time, more time, more touch, and here is a much more burdensome situation than you can do, but can help him, but help him.
Geekie and Syracuse said his goal was to quickly return to the NHL. Over time, he is committed to focusing on how to improve his abilities and play the playoffs in a tight situation. He played a big role in this work, with Syracuse approaching the AHL playoff spot.
Geekie believes Syracuse veterans Conor Sheary, Daniel Walcott and Gabriel Dumont guide him during the AHL's first stop.
“In the beginning, 'How I got back here was my idea,'” Geekie said. “But then I thought I just put my head down and said, 'Let's see how far we can go with these guys.' When I left, they were in a very hot state, for…I think we did a really good job there.
Geekie can push the current Lightning roster that handles multiple damages, and his recall provides the team with some flexibility. He skated against Gage Goncalves and Nick Paul during Sunday's skating match.
With the Lightning ready, they hoped they were another game in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so they showed Geekie the opportunity with three games left in the regular season. Those around him are happy to see that he can be added to the Tampa Bay squad by the end of this year.
“He was doing well there,” Cooper said. “The most important thing is that it's great to be able to improve one's talents when we start to get hurt. It's great to see where he is and how he has grown over the past few months.”
