"But Xhekaj gets none?" "Free him": NHL fans react as Conor Geekie gets one preseason game suspension after leaving bench to start fight

Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Conor Geekie was suspended by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for his role in an altercation on Wednesday night. The incident occurred during the Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Florida Panthers.

Conor Geekie left the bench to attack Panthers’ player Josh Davies following a hit Davies laid on Lightning captain Victor Hedman.

The league suspended Geekie for one preseason game, prompting the following fan reactions:

“But Xhekaj gets none?? Where’s the consistency?” this fan said.

“Free him,” another fan weighed in.

“Player Safety is an operation run by clowns,” one fan commented.

While some felt the league did not do its job, other fans felt that Conor Geekie’s suspension was too lenient. Let’s take a look at what these fans had to say:

“Should’ve been the whole season. Wow. Unbelievable,” a fan said.

“Absolutely disgusting play. Should've been 10 games MINIMUM,” another fan said.

“Let Geekie cook,” one fan remarked.

It’s unlikely Geekie will appeal the suspension, meaning he’ll sit out the Lightning’s next preseason contest against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

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Conor Geekie improved his chances of making the team

Conor Geekie wasn’t expected to make the team this season. The former 11th overall pick is Tampa Bay’s top prospect but is unlikely to take on an NHL role at this team.

While Geekie has had a strong camp this season, the likeliest destination for the 20-year-old is the AHL for another year of seasoning.

However, that prospect changed last night with Geekie’s involvement. As the Tampa Bay Times noted, Geekie improved his chances of making the team by using his fists.

Now, this statement doesn’t mean Geekie will suddenly become the team’s enforcer. It refers to the level of respect he earned among his teammates and peers. In particular, standing up for his captain the way Geekie did is not something rookies typically do.

The Tampa Bay Times quoted Hedman’s thoughts on Geekie:

“He’s impressed me the whole camp with the way he plays the game.”

Hedman’s positive comments don’t stop there. He added:

“He hounds pucks, he’s really good defensively and has got a lot of skill. As a young kid, you try to make an impression, (and) he certainly has. And even if ... (the fight) wouldn’t have happened, I still would have been very impressed with what he’s done so far in camp.”

It seems the fight was something that earned Geekie more respect than he’s already accrued. It remains to be seen if he can make the team out of camp. Regardless of the outcome, it seems Conor Geekie has carved out a role for him on the Tampa Bay Lightning.