Finding their footing
When the 20-year-old Geekie was demoted to Syracuse on Feb. 4, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but he knew his game needed help. He won a roster spot out of camp as a hard-charging player who showed he wanted the puck on his stick. But playing on a Lightning roster full of talent, particularly on the matchup line with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel, he instinctively deferred to the veterans around him.
The demotion also turned Geekie’s life upside down. He has an apartment in Tampa, where his girlfriend, Madison, and two dogs live. He’d never been to Syracuse, and his previous experience in the AHL amounted to just two games, a pair of playoff contests in Tucson last season before a summer trade brought him to the Lightning.
Geekie said Sheary was an important consult. If anyone has had to handle disappointment, it’s Sheary. He entered the season looking to rebound from an injury-plagued first season of a three-year contract with the Lightning with an annual average value of $2 million. But two weeks into the season, Sheary was waived and reassigned to Syracuse.
“He’s kind of like my older brother, I would say,” Geekie said. “As crazy as that is to say, he really is, I look up to him in that way. We hang out twice a week normally. His wife, Jordan, was unbelievable. And they’ve been so great to me and my girlfriend. They welcomed us with open arms. He’s a guy that I lean on a lot with hockey. But I think just the big thing is just in general in life and, you know, kind of how he dealt with everything.”
Sheary, who has nearly 600 NHL games under his belt and opened his career on back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning teams in Pittsburgh, had to go through his own adjustment process being back in the AHL for the first time in nine years.
“Maybe it took me a little bit to get my attitude kind of in check for the fact that I was going to be here for quite a bit,” said Sheary, who was reassigned to Syracuse on Oct. 24. (He has been recalled twice for spot duty then returned to the Crunch).
“Early on, my attitude was that ‘I have to play to get out of here’ more than ‘I have to play well to get out of here’ kind of thing. And I think sometimes when you look too far ahead and you’re looking for an opportunity, sometimes that can hurt you a little bit. I think now I just kind of focus on what I could do my best, and let’s play a good game here, be a leader and stand out as much as I can to get noticed.”
Fulfilling their role
Sheary, the Crunch’s leading scorer this season with 55 points (18 goals, 37 assists) in 54 games, isn’t the most vocal person, but he’s embraced a newfound leadership role. Of the myriad players on Syracuse’s roster, none has Sheary’s NHL experience.
“I try my best to be the best example I can be on the ice,” Sheary said. “My whole career has been based off work ethic and second effort. And a lot of these young kids, if they can learn that at a young age, it’ll really help their games. If guys can learn that from me, that’s awesome. I hope I can bring that, but I’m just embracing the opportunity to be around these kids.”
Geekie, an outgoing, small-town kid from Manitoba, wears the same smile — his two front teeth missing — he did with the Lightning. He said being sent to Syracuse has been the best thing for him. He’s taken time to work with skating coach Barb Underhill and made visible strides there. In games, he’s commanding the puck and using his skill to score, more closely resembling the player considered a top prospect.
”It was just playing my game,” Geekie said. “I played my game to get there, and I maybe lost it a little bit. … Hitting the net, that always helps. They’re going in, but I think it’s playing with confidence. I think it’s challenging guys one-on-one in the right areas and just always wanting the puck.
“I’m a guy that wants it, and I play better when I have it. I skate better when I have it. That’s just kind of who I am. I think here I definitely found out how to be better without the puck, to find the spots, to find the opening. And playing with Shears, he was an easy guy to kind of kind of come down to, and we became really close.”
Regaining their game
It’s clear Geekie is playing with confidence. After scoring just one goal in his first 10 games with Syracuse, he has 10 in his last 13, including three multigoal games. He had a seven-game point streak (during which he had eight goals and 11 points) snapped in Syracuse’s most recent game. Six of his goals during the streak came on the power-play unit on which he teams with Sheary.
“I think he’s really come into his own,” Sheary said of Geekie. “He’s got clear talent, he’s got a rifle of a shot, he makes plays. He’s probably got more skill than anyone on the team. I think it’s just putting the mindset together with that, and I think he’s really done a great job of that lately, of learning to play the game and when to use the skill and when not to.
“I’ve been alongside him a lot and I try to coach him here and there, but I never had the skill he does, I never had the size he does. So, you can only teach him so much, but I think he’s, he’s definitely learned a lot.”
In the Crunch’s most recent home game, a 4-1 win over Toronto Friday, Geekie had three points and scored twice. His first goal came 31 seconds into the game when he sped into the slot and scored on a feed from Sheary. Sheary had the secondary assist on Geekie’s second goal, ending the night with three assists.
“You don’t go down there and say, ‘Hey, go score two goals a game.’ Let’s go down, play your game,” said Lightning assistant GM/director of player development Stacy Roest. “ … He’s just playing his game, playing with good players, playing a big role on the team. He’s got the work ethic, he’s got the skill, he’s got the talent, you know, he’s got the heart and the mindset to produce and perform, and that’s what he’s doing.”
Roest called Sheary “the ultimate pro” with the way he’s embraced his role in Syracuse.
“He’s doing a great job helping the young guys and and working on his game, and he’s probably playing the best hockey of the season, for sure, right now, which is great for him and great for us,” Roest said. “But talk about a guy that works hard, prepares and has a good growth mindset to get better at his age and just working on your game and hopefully get back to the NHL.”
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Conclusion:
Overall, Geekie and Sheary have found success and formed a strong bond during their time with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL. Their determination, work ethic, and willingness to learn and grow have made them valuable assets to the team as they strive for a playoff berth.
FAQs:
1. How have Geekie and Sheary contributed to the Syracuse Crunch?
Geekie and Sheary have emerged as the top scoring duo for the Syracuse Crunch, providing leadership on and off the ice.
2. What challenges have they faced in their journeys?
Both players have experienced setbacks and adjustments, but their resilience and positive attitudes have helped them overcome obstacles.
3. What can we learn from Geekie and Sheary’s story?
The importance of hard work, perseverance, and supporting each other through tough times are key lessons from Geekie and Sheary’s journey in the AHL.
