Latest news with #Geekie
UPI
2 days ago
- Sport
- UPI
Boston Bruins, Morgan Geekie agree to $33 million extension
June 30 (UPI) -- The Boston Bruins and forward Morgan Geekie agreed to a six-year, $33 million contract extension, the NHL franchise said. The Bruins announced their agreement with Geekie on Sunday night. A six-year veteran, Geekie totaled career-highs in goals (33), assists (24), points (57) and games played (77) last season for the Bruins, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. The third-round pick by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2017 NHL Draft joined the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He signed a two-year contract with the Bruins in free agency before the 2023-24 season. Geekie, 26, increased his point totals over each of the last four seasons, with 22-, 28- and 39-point campaigns leading into his 57-point breakout. Geekie totaled 17 goals and 22 assists over 76 appearances in 2023-24 for the Bruins. He also recorded four goals that postseason, which tied David Pastrnak for the second most among Bruins players, trailing only Jake DeBrusk.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie Turns A Career Campaign Into A Six-Year Contract
The Boston Bruins agreed to terms with left winger Morgan Geekie on a six-year contract extension, the team announced on Sunday. Geekie, 26, is set to earn an average annual value of $5.5 million through the 2030-31 season. He was a pending RFA with arbitration rights, but the Bruins got their second-top scorer this past season under contract for the long term. After finishing the regular season with a six-game goal streak and 11-game points streak, including a five-point night on April 5, Geekie had a career-high 33 goals and 57 points. Only frequent linemate David Pastrnak had more than him in both categories on the Bruins, with 43 goals and 106 points. That said, Geekie's goal-scoring nearly doubled his previous career high of 17, set in 2023-24 in his first season with the Bruins. Before that, he played for the Seattle Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes. His shooting percentage skyrocketed from 13.1 percent in 2023-24 to 22 percent this past season. That was the second-highest shooting percentage in the NHL among players who scored at least 30 goals, beating Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl (21.7 shooting percentage for 52 goals) but trailing Tampa Bay Lightning pivot Brayden Point (22.2 percent for 42 goals). The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Manitoban had one of the consistently harder shots in the league as well in 2024-25. His average shot speed of 63.34 miles per hour ranked in the 91st percentile, and he had 64 shots of at least 80 mph, including 10 of at least 90 mph, according to NHL Edge data. The season prior, only 35 of his shots were at least 80 mph. More to come. Get thelatest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and bysubscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting belowthe article on Copyright 2025 The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Bruins re-sign Geekie to 6-year, $33M contract. Giroux back with Senators, Fabbro stays in Columbus
Associated Press Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie was rewarded for his breakout season with a six-year, $33 million contract, the team announced Sunday night. The 26-year-old had career highs of 33 goals and 57 points in 77 games while completing the two-year contract he signed when he joined the Bruins. Geekie has five full NHL seasons of experience and was eligible to become a restricted free agent once the league's signing period opens on Tuesday. In other moves around the NHL on Sunday, veteran Senators forward Claude Giroux is staying put in Ottawa for one more season, and Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro has a new four-year contract that keeps him in Columbus. Meantime, forward Conor Sheary's tenure in Tampa Bay is ending after the Lightning placed him on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Geekie signed with Boston in free agency two years ago and found a niche this season playing on a line with David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm. Geekie has 50 goals and 95 points in 153 games with the Bruins after combining for 25 goals and 67 points in 142 games for Carolina and Seattle. The Bruins also re-signed center Marat Khunsnutdinov and defenseman Michael Callahan earlier Sunday. The Senators announced re-signing the 37-year-old Giroux to a one-year, $2 million contract that features an additional $2.75 million in incentives. Girioux has 18 seasons of NHL experience including his first 15 in Philadelphia, where he served as captain. Last season, he had 15 goals and 35 assists in 81 games to reach 50 points for the 13th time as he helped guide the Senators to their first playoff appearance in eight years. 'Claude brings veteran leadership and a competitive edge to our group and has been a consistent presence on and off the ice,' Senators general manager Steve Staios said. The Blue Jackets locked up Fabbro with a four-year, $16.5 million contract. Columbus acquired the 27-year-old by claiming him in November after Nashville placed him on waivers. Fabbro finished the season with a career-high 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 62 games with the Blue Jackets after getting no points in six games with Nashville. 'Dante was a great addition to our team last season and keeping him in Columbus was a priority,' general manager Don Waddell said. The Lighting are parting ways with Sheary. The 10th-year player was limited to five games with the Lightning last season while spending most of his time in the minors because of the team's salary cap constraints. The 33-year-old Sheary had one more year left on his three-year contract and was due to make $2 million next season. Sheary won Stanley Cups during each of his first two NHL seasons with Pittsburgh in 2016 and '17. He signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent two years ago, and finished with four goals and 15 points in 62 games with the Lightning. He also played for Buffalo and Washington, and has 124 goals and 267 points in 593 games. If unclaimed, Sheary will become a free agent. Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin's agent, Allan Walsh, announced on X that his client will pursue free agency on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Drouin completed his one-year contract after two seasons in Colorado, during which he combined for 30 goals and 93 points in 122 games. The Kraken placed forward Joe Veleno on unconditional waivers to buy out the final year of his contract. He was due to make $2.275 million. Veleno has five seasons of NHL experience and was acquired by Seattle last week in a trade that sent forward Andre Burakovsky to Chicago. The 25-year-old Veleno spent his first four-plus NHL seasons in Detroit, and has 38 goals and 81 points in 306 games. The Anaheim Ducks maintained their depth at goalie by signing Ville Husso to a two-year extension. The 30-year-old provides the Ducks insurance behind projected starter Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek, who was acquired in a trade that sent John Gibson to Detroit on Saturday. Husso has a record of 71-46-19 and went 1-1-1 in four appearances with Anaheim last season after being acquired in a trade with Detroit in February. Husso spent the rest of his time with Anaheim in the minors. ___ AP NHL: recommended
Boston Globe
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Morgan Geekie hopes he has a good shot to return to the Bruins
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up General manager Don Sweeney has a lot to figure out this summer, figuring all the more daunting if negotiations for a Geekie extension drag on, possibly reach impasse ( Advertisement None of that seems to be causing Geekie much anxiety — perhaps because he's looking at a substantial, potentially whopping, increase over the two-year/$4 million deal he signed to come here two years ago as an unrestricted free agent. Advertisement Contract talks to this point, said Geekie, have been 'pretty preliminary' between his agent, Judd Moldaver , and Sweeney. 'I honestly don't ask too many questions when it comes to that,' Geekie said. 'Like I've said, I love playing in Boston and would love to be there as long as I can. I'm super hopeful it will be sorted out, but [the Bruins are busy with] a high pick in the draft, and there's free agents to be had. I think for me it's more a matter of when, I guess, it's going to happen when it happens, and I'm not putting too much pressure on it.' Related : It can be partly cloudy, trending toward a tornado of miscalculations, to try to read the weather around contract talks. Nonetheless, Geekie sounded positive about the process and optimistic about returning. No doubt his return would be embraced by a fan base still trying to come to grips with a season that sorta started out real slow and then fizzled out all together (pop culture coincidence: rock legend Neil Young and Geekie grew up around Winnipeg). Geekie ended up second in Bruins scoring to Czech wonder David Pastrnak , While it's true that Geekie is among the 99 percent of NHL forwards not in Pastrnak's elite scoring class, his late-season finishing kick showed he has the skills to hunt with the big dogs. He has a heavy, menacing shot — one perhaps he should use more —and a willingness to barge his way into 'inside ice,' prime scoring spots. Advertisement 'A lot of things,' said Geekie, asked what factors he believed most influenced his uptick in production, particularly goal scoring. 'Obviously, playing with Dave helps a lot — he's a world-class player — and he taught me a lot of things on offense that I never really thought of before, helped me add aspects to my game where I try to be at the right spots at the right time. I think I have my shot as an asset, and it helped being able to put myself in those spots to use it effectively.' Geekie scored on 33 of his 150 shots, a 22.0 percent success rate that led the club's regulars. He was followed by Charlie Coyle (16.3) and perennial volume shooter Pastrnak (13.5). League-wide, 155 players this past season landed 150 or more shots on net, and only three cashed in with similar proficiency, Tampa Bay's Brayden Point (42 goals/22.2 percent); Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl (52 goals/21.7); and Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele (39 goals/21.6). Outstanding company. Also reason for Geekie to remain hammer-ready. 'I've never really been known to take a ton of shots,' noted Geekie, whose previous high (130) was set in his first season as a Bruin. 'It just seemed that I had a lot of high-quality chances and I think a lot of those came from creating in a lot of different ways — creating off the rush, creating below the goal line. All of it kind of added up. I learned a lot and I owe a lot to Pav [ Pavel Zacha ], Dave, and Lindy [ Elias Lindholm ].' Geekie grew up just west of Winnipeg, as did his wife, Emma (the two often were linemates in Strathclair amateur hockey), and the couple have made Calgary their offseason home since the summer of 2023 Advertisement 'When I was playing with Seattle, I came here for a week or two to train with one of my buddies and loved it,' mused Geekie. 'We live in a hamlet — whatever a hamlet is — and we're kind of by the golf course and right next to the firehall.' With his hands hotter than they've ever been, sounds as if Geekie is in just the right place. Across the final 20 games of this season, beginning just before what was the seismic March 7 trade deadline, Geekie went 14-11—25. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Games in hand Record number could reach 1,000 The upcoming season is shaping up to be the busiest in league history for handing out silver sticks. Upon season's end, 26 active NHLers, including former Bruins Tyler Seguin , Craig Smith , Marcus Johansson , Charlie Coyle , and Reilly Smith , all had logged at least 919 regular-season games and could reach or crest the 1,000-game plateau during the 2025-26 season. Inevitably, be it due to retirement or injury, it's unlikely all 26 will reach four figures. However, it easily should set a record, most players to reach the 1,000 mark in the same season. Per the league stats department, the record is 15 players to get there in the same season — a mark set five times across seasons 2001-02 through 2023-24. For a league that puts such a beating on the working help, that's an impressive tally. To date, 404 NHLers have played 1,000 games or more. Advertisement Oilers forward Adam Henrique (993) should be the first to get to 1,000 next season. The five ex-Bruins in the same flight path and their current club/total games: Seguin (Dallas/989); Craig Smith (Chicago/987); Johansson (Minnesota/983); Coyle (Colorado/950) and Reilly Smith (Vegas/919). Of the 26 NHLers on the doorstep, 19 are forwards and seven are defensemen. Blues blue liner Ryan Suter (1,526) finished 2024-25 atop the heap of most games played among active players. Topping the current Bruins roster for games played: David Pastrnak (756) and Charlie McAvoy (504). Charlie Coyle could surpass the 1,000-game mark this season. David Zalubowski/Associated Press ETC. Sturm grew up with drive So, what is there to know about Marco Sturm's hometown of Dingolfing, Germany? 'Pretty simple,' said a chuckling Sturm, who grew up in the town at the southern edge of Bavaria. 'It's the home of BMW, a town of maybe 25,000, and I think maybe 30,000 work at the BMW factory. If you open up a BMW door, you'll see it says, 'Made in Dingolfing.' That's all you gotta know.' The last job Sturm held before signing his pro hockey contract at age 16 was with BMW. He signed up with the automaker at his father's insistence, entering the luxury car's workforce as an electrical engineering trainee. 'Now, I gotta say, I gotta say,' noted a chuckling, self-effacing Sturm, 'I was there only six months and the job I was doing really had nothing to do with electrical engineering. They try to build you up that first year for your second year, so it was just entry level — I had to do the dirty work.' Related : Advertisement Only weeks into his BMW stay, yet to turn 17, he signed with the pro team in nearby Landshut for the 1995-96 season. After only a season there, he was drafted by the Sharks in 1996 and returned to Landshut for one more season as lead-up to making his NHL debut with the Sharks in October 1997. 'I think it helped me,' said Sturm, laughing as he reflected on his father pointing him to the BMW factory. 'Did I like it? No. But my dad did the right thing — he wanted me to make some money. I said, 'Dad, I know I'm going to play professional hockey!' And he said, 'Yeah, but you can get hurt tomorrow, and you need to start making money, learn how to make money.' So I did it. But let me say, I was really happy when I signed [with Landshut] and didn't have to go back.' While in Landshut, Sturm met Astrid , who later became his wife, and they return to her hometown every summer with son Mason and daughter Kaydie . Sturm's dad still lives in Dingolfing, where the cars keep rolling off the line while Marco, new keys in hand, readies to take the wheel as the new Bruins coach. Related : Rangers could eye Grzelcyk The Rangers added $6.5 million to their summer shopping funds upon moving Chris Kreider to the Ducks. Don't be surprised if GM Chris Drury uses some of the extra cash to add another Boston University alum, Matt Grzelcyk , to the Blueshirts' backline, particularly now with Mike Sullivan and David Quinn behind the bench. Grzelcyk played for both coaches last season in Pittsburgh, rolling up a career-high 39 assists and 40 points. Not asked back by the Bruins after last season, 'Grizzy' signed on with the Penguins for one year/$2.75 million and will be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1. With Kreider off the books, Drury has some $15 million of available cash, according to Meanwhile, Drury also is rumored to be looking to move No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad (five more years at $8.5 million AAV). The Swedish-born pivot last season dipped to 20-42—62, looking at times like an old 31-year-old (and now 32). The Ducks still have gobs of money to spend (north of $32 million in cap space) and they already have ex-Rangers captain Jacob Trouba and Pat Verbeek , with Joel Quenneville behind the bench, opts for a full ex-Blueshirt makeover, like new facing on existing kitchen cabinets. If Kreider and Zibanejad were recharged by that bunch of surrounding young forwards, the Ducks could be mighty again and soon. The risk: the vets, faced with the inevitable drain of time and greater travel grind out west, fail to surge and they prevent the kids from thriving. Tricky balance. The Bruins and Zibanejad? It can't be discounted. However, the Bruins and Blueshirts aren't likely trade partners unless Drury were to hold back, say, 25-33 percent of that $42.5 million cap hit remaining on Zibanejad's contract. Zibanejad and fellow Swede Elias Lindholm could make an interesting tandem in the 1-2 center spots. On the power play alone, Zibanejad averaged 13 goals and 30 points the last three years. He was out of the lineup for only one of 246 regular-season games. Loose pucks In 1996, when the Sharks drafted Sturm at No. 21, the Bruins misfired at No. 8, selecting WHL Medicine Hat blue liner Johnathan Aitken . Heavy afoot, the 6-4 Aitken suited up for only three games with the Bruins, and eventually 41 more with the Blackhawks before finishing up with a final career twirl in Klagenfurt, Austria, at age 29 … The Islanders made the best pick in the '96, draft, and one of the best in league history, selecting Zdeno Chara , some unheralded, gangly defenseman from Trencin, Slovakia, at No. 56. Chara, by the way, has been retired for three years and thus becomes eligible this coming week for Hockey Hall of Fame consideration. Ditto for Joe Thornton , whom the Bruins took at No. 1 in the '97 draft. The HHOF will announce its new inductees Tuesday, 3 p.m, and it would be a shock if Big Z and Jumbo Joe aren't part of the class that will be inducted Nov. 10 in Toronto … Those who had the unique pleasure of watching his career may be challenged today to imitate Derek Sanderson's trademark sweep check in the privacy of their family room, but let it be noted that the inimitable 'Turk' on Monday celebrated his 79th birthday. Finish the sentence: 'Orr, to Sanderson, back to … ' … Three of the game's narrative voices that I missed all the more while watching the Cup playoffs on TV the last two months: 1. Gary Thorne ; 2. Mike 'Doc' Emrick ; and 3. Mike Milbury . I could be entertained if the first two read aloud the potential side effects listed on the side of a pill bottle. 'Ohhhh, what do we have HERE?!' Milbury, in his NBC commentating days, sometimes said things that made the network's iconic peacock blush. And it was splendid, every true word of it … The Stanley Cup Final on TNT often had me turning off the TV and opting instead to listen to the action via the NHL app, which offered (for free!) the individual radio feeds of the Panthers and Oilers. Still love listening to games, especially hockey and baseball, via radio, forever reminded of my old man listening to the Sox on his Admiral transistor radio. 'Yanks win again,' he'd say with disgust, sitting at the kitchen table as he clicked off the radio. 'Never changes, bag job.' Mel lived from 1922-89, just more than 67 years of that 86-year dry spell … I told ya, Oilers in six. Missed it by that much. Yeah, I knew Zach Hyman wouldn't be able to go, but still thought the Oilers had the requisite underlying cast to make up for his distinct blend of sandpaper and finish. Yet another lesson in how few players are able to summon his kind of moxie, especially in the playoffs … Following Game 5 of the Cup Final, in which he contributed a pair of dazzling snipes to the Panthers' win, Brad Marchand was asked what the 2011 version of himself — a Cup winner that spring with the Bruins — would think of the 2025 iteration of No. 63. 'Man,' mused Marchand, 'that guy's good looking.' Morgan Geekie , asked about his former captain's quip: 'That fits the bill perfectly, exactly the response I would have [expected], too. He brings that kind of humor every day and he shows up to work — they got a good one.' Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
New York Times
19-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bruins 2025-26 roster tiers: Who stays and who goes this offseason?
The Boston Bruins initiated turnover before the trade deadline by sending out Justin Brazeau, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, Max Jones and Brad Marchand. That process will continue in the months to come. It's possible that before the 2025 NHL Draft, general manager Don Sweeney will package some of his future capital for NHL help. On July 1, he will sign unrestricted free agents while letting others walk. The GM will use the rest of the offseason — he hopes it will not bleed into training camp like with Jeremy Swayman last year — to lock in his restricted free agents. Advertisement So who stays and who goes? Following is a projection of all the players who appeared in 10 or more games for the Bruins in 2024-25: He was the NHL's breakout player of the season, per Nikita Zadorov, going from a healthy scratch to a 33-goal scorer. He has arbitration rights but does not prefer to exercise them. Negotiations could get tricky if arbitration is not used. He could triple his expiring $2 million average annual value based on the rising cap. Entering the second season of his seven-year, $54.25 million contract, the only way he could be moved is if the Bruins retain part of his salary. Lindholm started 2024-25 in the hole when he hurt his back on Day 1 of training camp, which kept him off the ice and out of the weight room. He found some much-needed chemistry with Geekie and David Pastrnak at the end of the regular season. He doesn't necessarily have to be a first-line play-driver. Lindholm had some good luck within his bad luck, as he put it, when he had a clean break in his patella, which allowed him to push his return to play. It was within that accelerated comeback that he went too hard and had to shut things down for good. He plans to start skating in mid-May. The loss of the No. 2 defenseman was too much for the defense to overcome. He can be a three-zone presence when healthy. The team's No. 1 defenseman experienced a frightening staph infection during the 4 Nations Face-Off that led to hospitalization and surgery on his right shoulder. He might have been able to play in Round 1 had the Bruins qualified. Doctors have told him he will have no long-term effects from the injury, and he's motivated to return better than ever. He was the league's best player down the stretch, in McAvoy's opinion, continuing to grow as a shooting and passing dangerman and helping Geekie hit his career high in goals. He also took over leadership duties after Marchand was moved and did so with all-around approval from teammates and coaches. It's unclear whether he wants the captaincy. Advertisement The fourth-highest-paid active goalie has faith he can be one of the league's top netminders again. He acknowledged not playing his best, although he did not answer whether missing training camp because of contract negotiations held him back. The team's most disappointing player has nowhere to go but up. The smashmouth fourth-liner missed the final 12 games because of post-concussion syndrome. His symptoms included headaches and balance issues. He had suffered previous concussions but none with this severity. He took comfort in a conversation with ex-Bruin Patrice Bergeron, whose severe concussion threatened his career. He's not concerned about long-term effects and will begin the first season of a three-year, $4.71 million deal in 2025-26. The primary target in the Brazeau trade with the Minnesota Wild, Khusnutdinov is a fast and shifty wing who isn't afraid of high-traffic ice. The 22-year-old will reach RFA status but should not command a significant raise off his entry-level contract. The backup goalie had a better save percentage (.893) than Swayman (.892. As such, he was not satisfied with his playing time (27 appearances). He will be in line for more action if Swayman can't get back to his level. The puck-pushing defenseman had no trouble creating offense (33 points), but defense was another story. He could be a partner for McAvoy but will need sheltering if his defending doesn't improve. He will reach RFA status, and a bridge contract is the most likely outcome considering his cloudy defensive outlook. The 2020 first-rounder was promoted with only 11 AHL goals. He scored his first NHL goal in his 11th appearance. There's no questioning his skill and speed with the puck, but there are uncertainties with wall play, strength on the puck, defensive coverage and offensive decision-making. He should have every chance to make the club full-time in camp. Advertisement The No. 8 pick from 2017 was underwhelming after arriving from the Colorado Avalanche. He's a highly skilled playmaker who is good at holding pucks and allowing teammates to get open, but is too light on the puck for a 438-game NHL veteran. Mittelstadt has the skill of a top-two center, but shortcomings in other parts of his game are holding him back. He is what he is: a third-pair defensive defenseman who can pick his spots up the ice. The team is not served well if he moves into a top-four position. The franchise erred by rushing the 2022 second-rounder before he was ready, which was not his fault. His confidence took a hit when he couldn't make plays and put himself at risk of injury. He would have been a first-year pro had the Bruins kept him in junior in 2023-24. He's a point-per-game AHL player but is no lock to make the varsity in 2025-26. The veteran center/left wing finished the regular season as one of only three active players who dressed for Game 7 against the Florida Panthers last year (Pastrnak and Swayman were the others). He was slowed by a knee injury this season. He would have value on the trade market but is more important to the Bruins as a multi-position returnee. He settled in as a defensive defender after a turbulent start. Ideally, he's a third-pairing defenseman and penalty killer. He's not afraid to speak his mind and finished the regular season with an NHL-high 145 penalty minutes. The 2019 first-rounder scored just three goals and was scratched for the final two games. He's one of the team's fastest straight-line skaters but has struggled to apply his speed toward offensive chances. He will reach RFA status and may not be qualified if the Bruins are dissatisfied with his development. He does not appear to have a ceiling beyond the fourth line The plucky left wing was delighted to return to his draft team. He will play for Czechia at the World Championships for the first time. He will reach RFA status and may not be qualified if the Bruins believe they can find a cheaper and younger fourth-liner with more offensive potential. Advertisement The right-shot depth defenseman will reach RFA status. He appears to be more of an AHLer than an NHLer. The waiver pickup scored just once in 16 games. He has an above-average NHL shot but did not do enough to use it. He will reach RFA status and may not be qualified if the Bruins don't consider him NHL-worthy. The high-motor fourth-liner and Providence captain is highly regarded by teammates and coaches. He will reach UFA status. The defensive defenseman fulfilled a dream by playing for his hometown team. The Franklin native projects to be a third-pair defender. He will reach Group 6 UFA status. The former Buffalo Sabres defenseman held his own on the No. 1 pair next to Zadorov following his arrival. He was earning $3.1 million annually, an expensive price. He will reach UFA status. A meat-and-potatoes wing who started the year well on the fourth line, Koepke could get a raise elsewhere because of his speed and willingness to go to the net. He will reach UFA status. The energetic right wing played with pace and skill. He's a prototypical high-character player who shuttles between the NHL and AHL without complaint. He will reach UFA status. A defensive defenseman with some puck-moving touch, he can be a depth defender on a good team. He will reach UFA status.
