WHL Championship: Game 4 Player to Watch – Conor Geekie
For the first time ever, the Winnipeg ICE and Seattle Thunderbirds meet in the WHL Championship Series. Seattle currently leads the best-of-seven series, 2-1, following the opening three games. Game 4 is set for Wednesday, May 17 (7:05 p.m. PT) at accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. The best-of-seven series will follow a 2-3-2 format with the winner of the Ed Chynoweth Cup advancing to the 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops, B.C.
Visit SeattleThunderbirds.com for tickets or catch the action from home on TSN 1 & 5 in Canada, on Fox13+ in the Seattle area, or on WHL Live.
Conor Geekie
Strathclair, Man.
Arizona Coyotes, 1-11 (2022)
Centre
#28
6-foot-4, 197 pounds
2023 WHL Playoffs
17GP – 6G-11A–17 points
Conor Geekie is not one to shy away when facing pressure-filled scenarios.
That is why the Winnipeg ICE will be looking in his direction when his club meets the Seattle Thunderbirds for the fourth installment of the 2023 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien on Wednesday night.
With Geekie and the ICE trailing 2-1 in the series, Game 4 will be monumental for the team. A win will bring them even with Seattle in the series, while a loss will set them back by two games and leave them on the brink of elimination.
But, games like tonight’s pivotal tilt in the accesso ShoWare Center is when players of Geekie’s caliber step up to the occasion and settle down the pace of the game.
This statement isn’t built from a place of speculation either. Geekie has already shown flashes of brilliance during the 2023 WHL Playoffs.
Move over cats and dogs, there’s a new kind of flurry in town. @WHLWpgICE | @ArizonaCoyotes | #WHLHatTricks #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture | @NutrienLTD pic.twitter.com/vwa9PtXdbq
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 23, 2023
In Game 5 of the Winnipeg’s Second Round series with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Geekie recorded his first career WHL Playoffs hat-trick to help the ICE comeback following a two-goal deficit in the first period.
In the following game, the Arizona Coyotes’ prospect would register a four-point outing (2G-2A) en route to a series win and a ticket into the WHL Eastern Conference Championship for the second straight year.
In Game 3 of the WHL Championship Series, Geekie would pose as the playmaker, setting up Senators’ prospect Carson Latimer for an ICE goal just 1:02 after the Thunderbirds opened the scoring.
The ICE even the score 1:02 after Seattle opens the scoring!
If the first 90 seconds have been any indication, you’re not going to want to miss what’s to come!
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???? | https://t.co/HQbpG90GzL (U.S. / international)@Senators | @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/dXkCffV9sq— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 17, 2023
According to Geekie, his ability to calm down the pace of the game is not a personal trait, but a trait held by the entire team.
“I think [settling the game down] is one thing our team does really well. We are really good at handling adversity, kind of throughout the whole group. So, being able to get [the equalizing] goal and kind of settle it down a little bit was huge,” Geekie said.
While Geekie and the ICE dropped their first of three games in Seattle, the club isn’t fazed for what’s to come.
“We didn’t come in here and expect it to be easy and I think we’re a really good team with adversity. We got a lot of good character on our team and like I said, [the Thunderbirds] play us with pace and they work hard. We just got to match that.”
Game 4 of the 2023 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien goes Wednesday, May 17 at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent (7:05 p.m. PT, TSN 1/5, Fox 13+ Seattle, WHL Live).
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