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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Conor Geekie is easily handling one of the biggest challenges any Canada-born hockey player faces upon arriving in Arizona.
Dealing with the incessant heat.
"I love it, I'm pumped, I love going outside," said Geekie, who is from Strathclair, Manitoba. "I even walked to the mall the other day, and some people said I was crazy. But it was a lot of fun, and I'm enjoying myself here."
The 18-year-old even called it "cool," a word not generally associated with Phoenix in the summertime. Now he's hoping the progression from playing for Winnipeg of the Western Hockey League to the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes goes as seamlessly.
The Coyotes thought enough of Geekie's physicality, scoring ability and two-way play to select the 6-foot-3, 193-pound center with the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, moving up 16 spots to do so in a trade with the San Jose Sharks. They already envision Logan Cooley (No. 3 in 2022 draft), Geekie and Jack McBain, who played 10 NHL games last season (two goals, one assist) after finishing his career at Boston College, as their top three centers in the not too distant future.
"A No. 1, a No. 2 center, they're always first on your list," Arizona general manager Bill Armstrong said during development camp. "They make everybody better. They're your engine."
Geekie helped drive Winnipeg's offense last season with 70 points (24 goals, 46 assists) in 63 regular-season games and 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 15 playoff games.
Like most players Geekie's age, he's still polishing his game but said he knows what he must do to get to the NHL after signing a three-year, entry-level contract on July 18.
"I wouldn't say I'm slow by any means," Geekie said. "When I get going, I'm a decent skater, but again, you can always get faster, you can always get stronger, you can always get smarter. I was always told that IQ and vision you can teach early, but not late. Skating, you can teach early and late."
Although Geekie sustained an undisclosed injury that limited him to 45 minutes of ice time during development camp, he said he expects to be healthy for the start of training camp in September.
"I absolutely want to try and crack the team, that's every 18-year-old's dream," he said. "I've got to get a little faster, have a little more pace to my game. I'm just excited to see what happens."
Geekie said he won't be disappointed, though, if he returns to the WHL, and it's unlikely the Coyotes would elevate him to the NHL prematurely.
"He had some dominant performances with his size and ability and just his energy and how hard he works," Armstrong said. "For a big guy, there's a little bit of inconsistency he's got to work on. I think that's a maturing process to where he can be good like that every single night.
"But he has what we love. He's got the size and he plays physical, and he's got the skill."
Not long from now, Geekie wants to experience what Arizona is like in January and February, not just July and August.
"It's been a pretty easy fit to make the transition," Geekie said. "Definitely a lot more responsibility, but I'm excited. It's all part of growing up and being an NHL player."
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