July 7, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Conor Geekie after being selected by the Arizona Coyotes with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft at the Bell Center , shaking hands with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Tampa Bay Lightning forward Connor Geeke will have a hearing with the league on Thursday to discuss his fight in a preseason game against the Florida Panthers.
The 2022 first-round pick (11th overall) violated Rule 70.2 on Wednesday when he left the bench during a legal line change “for the purpose of causing an argument,” according to the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
The incident occurred in the second period of the Panthers' 2-1 overtime win when Florida State rookie Josh Davies hit Lightning captain Victor Hugo with an ice shot. Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov retaliated against Davis and received a two-minute roughing penalty.
After the next lane change, Geekie caught up with Davies and dragged him into the fight. The 20-year-old Geekie received 19 penalty minutes in this game: two cross-checks, two instigations, five fights and 10 minutes of misconduct.
Geekie, who has yet to make his NHL regular-season debut, told the Tampa Bay Times that he is sticking up for his teammates.
“It's one of those things where, whether it's Hedy or somebody else, it doesn't matter,” Giggy said. “I think anyone who gets hit like this, someone has to step up. I thought I could be that person. It worked out, but anyone can do it. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way as me.”
The Lightning acquired Geekie from Utah Hockey in a June 29 trade that sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Salt Lake City.
In the 2023-24 season, Geekie scored 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists) in 55 games between the WHL's Swift Current Broncos and Wenatchee Wild.
–Scene-level media