Confident Geekie finds his game, brings swagger to Team Canada

Team Canada travelled to Sweden on Friday and held a practice in Malmo ahead of their first World Juniors exhibition game on Tuesday.

It didn't take long for Wenatchee Wild forward Conor Geekie to make his presence felt around Team Canada. 

"I love his confidence," head coach Alan Letang gushed on the second day of the selection camp. "He's got some swagger in the dressing room and some confidence so we need that."

On a team missing some big NHL names, Geekie seems more than ready to step in and fill the void. The 19-year-old from Strathclair, Man., has already scored 20 goals and racked up 49 points in 26 Western Hockey League games this season. 

"I definitely play with a little more pace," the 6-foot-4, 197-pounder said of his progress. "I was pretty lanky when I was coming into the League and kind of a klutz, to be honest. It wasn't nice, but I think I found my game. I'm playing hard now and protecting the puck and using my body and just taking pucks to the net. I've kind of found that other half of my game where I can play with a chip on my shoulder and it's definitely a positive."

It was evident on Dec. 2 during a game against the Portland Winterhawks. Winnipeg trailed 5-1 going into the third period. 

"I didn't play good for two periods," Geekie admits. "I was not good at all."

He promptly took over in the final 20 minutes scoring four straight goals in a 6-5 win. 

"He keeps getting better every year," said Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk, who is a childhood friend and now teammate with Canada. "His shot gets better. His skating gets better. He's a really hard guy to take off the puck. He protects it really well. That's an asset to his game. He's hard to take off the puck. When he puts his shoulder down and drives he's hard to get in front of for sure."

Geekie, the 11th overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2022, is the youngest of three brothers. Morgan Geekie, the eldest sibling, plays for the Boston Bruins. 

"Growing up in a small town you're kind of always the guy who scores the goals or makes the crazy plays but lately I'd say the third-child gene is coming out a little more," he said. "I'm being extra competitive and trying to bring that every single night and work my hardest to make someone feel my presence on the ice. I think that's how I've been growing up and just trying to translate it."

As a lock to make the team, Geekie didn't have to play in the two selection camp games against the USports All-Stars, but he did get into an intra-squad scrimmage. And he certainly made his presence felt during the 3-on-3 work. 

"He loses the puck and then I think he gets mad and bullies two guys and gets it back," noted Letang. "He's got to be a horse for us. He's got to be that guy."

It felt notable that Geekie joined Peterborough Petes centre Owen Beck, the only returnee on Canada's roster, as the players made available by Hockey Canada on the night the roster was named. 

"In the past there's been guys sent back [from the NHL], but this group, we haven't even thought about it," Geekie stressed. "We're all just so happy to be here. We all cherish this moment together." 

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Canada held their first practice in Sweden on Friday. A two-hour flight delay pushed back the start time to the early evening. 

"It didn't really help with our jet-lag plan, but for the most part our energy was good," said Letang. "It met my expectations and probably exceeded them a little bit."

What was the plan?  

"Get their feet moving," Letang said. "We want to keep them up as long as we can so a lot of up and down, a lot of flow, just some tempo and had some fun at the end of with a little game and the guys responded well."

With Canada playing its first exhibition game on Tuesday, Letang was asked when he'd like to have a formal leadership group in place. 

"We got our guys slotted and picked out and we want to see how they interact the next two days," Letang said. "These are the first two days of a little bit of adversity. We got the flight. We got the jet lag. Tomorrow I expect them to be real tired when they wake up. We'll see who can generate the energy and really pull the group in." 

Mental performance consultant Luke Madill will also have a say in vetting candidates, Letang added.

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Mateychuk, who was selected 12th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets last year, started the season on a 23-game point streak. 

"It was just a really good summer of training," the Warriors captain said. "Going into Columbus and having a good camp just started it off really good for me and then coming back to Moose Jaw, I was just bringing back those pro habits."

Mateychuk credits Blue Jackets veteran blueliners Andrew Peeke and Erik Gudbranson, in particular, for teaching him what it takes to play at the next level. 

"They know those details that sometimes you just kind of skim over and that's a really big thing I picked up on," the 19-year-old from Dominion City, Man., said. "Being in the right spot in the D-zone and neutral zone and being able to close on a guy quicker. So, just little things like that can make you kill plays quick so you can  go play in the offensive zone." 

Mateychuk's all-around game was evident at the selection camp even though, like Geekie, he didn't play in the USports games. 

"He's just composed," said Letang after the intra-squad scrimmage. "He's solid. He made a couple small little slip plays and no panic with the puck. He's physically strong enough to compete in the corners. He's good in front of the net boxing out." 

Despite being the team's shortest defenceman at 5-foot-11, Mateychuk projects to be Canada's catalyst on defence. 

"Matured into his game now," observed Hockey Canada management group lead Peter Anholt, who is the general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. "He's a real leader. What he does with Moose Jaw is a real good example with how he runs that team. He's come in here and you can tell he's mature and he's taken a whole different step. We like how he's developed as a player, as a leader and as a person." 

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Drummondville Voltigeurs defenceman Maveric Lamoureux is an imposing presence at 6-foot-7, but until recently he wasn't able to back up the intimidation factor. 

"Putting on some weight," the 19-year-old righty said of his off-season agenda. "The summer before I couldn't train because of my shoulder surgery so definitely putting on some weight was the main focus. I added 15 pounds."

How'd he do it?

"I ate a lot," he said with a grin. "Sometimes at night I wanted to throw up because I ate so much in the day, but I had to put on some weight."

His favourite dish came courtesy a family recipe. 

"My grandmother had a farm so she always brought chicken from there," the Hawkesbury, Ont., native said. "Chicken with garlic pasta was my go-to meal before going to bed at night." 

The late-night snacks have made an impact, mostly on the opposition. 

"It's huge," said Lamoureux, who was picked 29th overall by the Coyotes in 2022. "I feel way more stable, way more stronger and I'm winning way more battles too. Separating the guy from the puck is so much easier now." 

And while there's pressure for Lamoureux, now listed at 214 pounds, to use his size to his advantage, he's learned how to pick his spots better. 

"I feel like before I always wanted to go for the big hit," he said. "It's always fun. It's going to happen sometimes, but I was looking for it way too much last year. Now, I'm just letting it come to me. When it's going to happen I'm going to do it but I'm not going to get myself out of the play to go after big hits, so that's definitely what I learned."

Lamoureux is simplifying things and the production is following. He's already scored seven goals and piled up 27 points in 25 games this season. Last year, he finished with five goals and 19 points in 35 games. 

"I'm not playing too complicated," he said. "Just being physical and moving the puck quick. I'm shooting more pucks and all of that combined together made me earn my invitation to come here."

And that's what Team Canada wants to see in Sweden. 

"On the big ice with that reach and ability to skate, close gaps, go back and get pucks, move pucks and have a physical element too, pretty unique," noted Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior vice-president, high performance and hockey operations. 

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Lamoureux, like Geekie and Mateychuk, sat out the USports games. 

Owen Allard, meanwhile, was bringing intensity to every shift in both games. 

"I lay it all on the line," the Soo Greyhounds forward said. "I had really no regrets after camp. I put all my effort on the ice and left nothing to chance."

Allard earned an unlikely spot on Team Canada. He is the only skater passed over in the NHL draft to make the roster. 

What would have the Ottawa native said at the start of the season if told he'd be wearing the Maple Leaf on Boxing Day? 

"I probably wouldn't believe you, to be honest," he admitted. "It's been a crazy last three months. It's nice to get selected. It will open some eyes for scouts."

"You know he's as excited as he can be to make this team," said a smiling Anholt. "I look back over the many years that we've followed the World Juniors and there's the odd 19-year-old undrafted guy that plays a big, big part in a championship team."  

A shoulder injury limited Allard to 14 games last season. He finished with three goals and four assists. So, how did the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder get on Hockey Canada's radar? 

Allard attended Colorado Avalanche rookie camp on a tryout and took part in a September prospects tournament hosted by the Vegas Golden Knights. 

"He jumped out at us in the fall in the Vegas tournament," said Anholt. "How he can skate with his size, it was something that was very important to us. Plus, how he competes. He can bring some physicality to the team."

"It was a great experience playing with great players and guys signed to NHL deals," Allard recalled. "It was super fun and thought I did well. Clearly they noticed." 

During the summer, Allard trained with the Gary Roberts group in Aurora, Ont., where he rubbed shoulders with NHLers like Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos. But it's his dad who made the biggest impact. Shawn Allard worked as a skills coach with the Avalanche the last five seasons and also runs Perfect Skating, an on-ice movement and skill methodology.  

"He's taught me how to be a pro. He's been around the game for a while. He's seen lots of pro athletes. He's won a Stanley Cup with the Avs. He just preaches habits and the things you'll have to do to get to the NHL. Just his complete honesty has been great for me. A lot of parents, they tell their kids, 'You got to do this. You got to do that.' And sometimes they don't believe them, but I've always trusted my dad. He's always taught me to work hard and find a role that suits an NHL team so I'm discovering that this year. On this team, I'm going to be a bottom-role guy."

Allard started strong in the OHL this season with 14 goals and 29 points in 30 games. 

"I got really improved mentally and in the gym and on my skills in the summer," Allard said. "I took that to the Soo this year and started playing well. My confidence grew in my game. Everything was just clicking and turns out I'm here."

The four forwards Canada cut all average more points per game this season, but Allard's commitment to his blue-collar identity made him pop in the short camp. 

"He's an incredibly hard worker," said Beck. "A lot of guys saw it right from the moment he stepped on the ice that he had a very good chance of cracking this lineup. He does so many things right and just has that dog-on-a-bone mentality and just never gives up."

The hard work led to a special moment for the Allard family after the news broke on Wednesday. 

"I called my dad. He picked up and he told my mom. My mom started crying and stuff, yeah, just super proud. Even if I did get released they were always super proud that I even got invited here. It was a surreal moment and something I'll always remember in my career."

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What was it like waiting for the final cuts? 

"It was terrible," said defenceman Oliver Bonk, who was rooming with London Knights teammate Denver Barkey. "Probably one of the most stressful moments of my life. It was gut wrenching."

Even more so after Barkey got word that he was being released. 

"It was really sad," Bonk said. "We were sitting on our beds on our phones. You had to be in your dress clothes in case the cameras came. So, you had to be sitting not really doing much." 

After Barkey left, Bonk was alone with his thoughts. Then, finally, someone knocked on the door. 

"Alan Letang came to my room," Bonk said. "I didn't know if I was getting cut or not so I was kind of stressed going to the door but he had Team Canada hoodies and he handed me one."

Bonk immediately FaceTimed his parents. 

"My dad was starting to tear up a bit," he said. "It's rare coming from him so a big moment."

Radek Bonk was the third overall pick in the 1994 NHL draft and played 969 games mostly with the Ottawa Senators.  

"You never see him tear up or anything like that, but he was really excited. He's not that type of guy to show emotion all the time so it was a special moment to see him like that."

Radek was born in Czechia and represented that country in international play.  

"He showed me his World Championship medal when he beat Canada," the Ottawa-born Bonk said. "I don't remember what year, it was 1998 maybe, so he showed me that. He's still bragging about that." 

It was actually 1996 when Bonk and the Czech Republic beat Canada in the gold-medal game at the World Championship. 

"He's a big Canada fan now," Oliver assures.  

"When it comes to the World Championship, I've always leaned towards Czechia," Radek told Ottawa's TSN 1200 on Friday. "I always said unless Oliver is on Team Canada, Czechia will have a soft spot in my heart."

Oliver has received plenty of advice from his dad over the years, but one message resonates the most. 

"Just persevere," he said. "You're not always going to be the strongest or fastest player, but you can be the smartest so just keep working." 

Now, the younger Bonk gets to do some work in a Team Canada sweater. 

"It will be more of a defensive role, PK, stuff like that," he said. "We got a lot of skilled defencemen here so take a defensive role and make sure I’m a shutdown guy." 

Bonk is one of only two 18-year-olds on Canada's blue line. 

What does Letang like about him? 

"Steady," the coach said. "Smart with the puck. Doesn't get beat very often 1-on-1. Good poise with the puck. He's real versatile. He can play on the power play. He can kill. He can move pucks. Even in London, he plays the bumper on their power play so it's nice to have that guy who can move all over the place." 

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Tanner Molendyk was feeling the heat while awaiting the cuts. 

"It wasn't fun," the Saskatoon Blades defenceman said. "Obviously you get the sweats. I was leaking there for a bit."

Roommate Jagger Firkus was let go despite being third in WHL scoring this season, which only made matters worse.  

"I was just laying there on TikTok just scrolling through and hoping it would fly by as fast as it could," the McBride, B.C., native said. "It kind of worked." 

As the youngest defenceman at the camp, Molendyk felt he needed a strong performance to make the team. However he got hurt in his final WHL game before leaving for Oakville, Ont. 

"Toe picked and hit my knee off the boards," he said.  

Molendyk skated on his own a couple times and worked closely with Hockey Canada's medical staff. He did not play in Tuesday's first USports game. 

"I thought I could have, but they said give it one more day to let it rest and heal up, because it was pretty bruised," he said. "I was pretty banged up there and they got me well enough to play in that last game. They did an unbelievable job."

Molendyk's impressive skating stride was evident. He didn't get an assist, but Molendyk made a nice play to start a rush, which led to Canada's only goal on Wednesday. A few hours later he found out he had done enough to earn a ticket overseas. He FaceTimed his family. 

"My mom did the lip quiver," he said with a smile. "She was pumped. My dad was stoked. He texted me after and said he got teary, too. That was pretty special."

Molendyk credits his family for helping him develop his smooth stride. 

"They've skated with me since I was two years old," he recalled. "We had the old rink in McBride there that was open for me whenever I had time, whether it was after school or whenever, so I have to give credit to them. I was out there forever."

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After watching John Tavares pick up career point 1,000 on Tuesday, Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten sent a congratulatory text to Toronto's captain. 

On Wednesday night after Team Canada was named, it was Tavares' turn. The 33-year-old tried to FaceTime Minten with his two sons, who grew fond of the Saskatoon Blades centre when he lived with the family at the start of the season. But Minten, 19, didn't pick up. 

Tavares did send a message to Minten and fellow Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who also made Team Canada. 

"Everyone there is texting me," said Cowan, who plays for the London Knights. "Mitch Marner, Tavares, all those guys, [general manager Brad] Treliving and [director, player personnel and amateur scouting] Wes Clark, [assistant general manager, player development] Hayley Wickenheiser, they all texted me and Mints so that was real special for us." 

It's the first time two Leafs prospects made Team Canada in the same year since 2016 when Marner and Travis Dermott played in Helsinki. 

Cowan and Minten made a big impression at Leafs camp. Cowan, a first-round pick this year, stayed all the way until the last pre-season game while Minten, a second-round pick last year, actually got into four NHL games. 

What stood out to Sheldon Keefe? 

"Their competitive nature," the Leafs coach told reporters on Thursday morning. "They are both skilled guys, but both are very competitive and confident going out to make a difference. They both seem very confident in who they are. They have differences in their games for sure, but they are both confident in who they are. They are great, humble personalities in terms of soaking it all in."

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Team Canada roster: 

FORWARDS 
8 Owen Beck 
9 Nate Danielson
12 Fraser Minten
17 Macklin Celebrini
18 Matthew Wood
20 Carson Rehkopf
21 Owen Allard
22 Jordan Dumais
26 Matthew Savoie
27 Easton Cowan
28 Conor Geekie
29 Brayden Yager 
 
DEFENCE 
2 Tristan Luneau 
3 Jake Furlong
4 Noah Warren
5 Oliver Bonk 
6 Tanner Molendyk
13 Maveric Lamoureux
24 Denton Mateychuk
 
GOALIES
1 Scott Ratzlaff
30 Mathis Rousseau 
31 St-Hilaire Samuel