Bruins’ Morgan Geekie, the Olympics and reality: ‘Whose spot are you going to take?’

LOS ANGELES — Morgan Geekie has 41 goals in 2025. It is the most for any Canadian this year. Sidney Crosby ranks second with 35.

As such, Geekie is in the same company as the presumed Olympic captain: on Hockey Canada’s long list for the 2026 Winter Games, and not just because Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has a say in the process.

“I look at that team,” Geekie said with a smile and a shake of the head, “and it’s a world-class team. It’s like, ‘Whose spot are you going to take?’ Obviously, it’s a goal. But it’s not something I put a lot of weight on. It would be awesome to play for your country.”

Geekie’s latest two goals came in the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. Geekie hammered a one-timer past Darcy Kuemper in the third period. In overtime, after taking a pass from David Pastrnak, Geekie whistled in a snap shot for the winner.

“I’m just trusting myself more in those situations,” said Geekie. “I don’t know if last year at this time I would have taken that shot in overtime just with the situation and where I was. It’s easy to build confidence when you have confidence. Over the last year, it’s slowly been building. Just try to keep it going and have fun. Hockey’s super fun right now.”

With each game, Geekie is proving that he belongs among the NHL’s goal-scoring elite, and not just among Canadians. Geekie is tied with Pastrnak (41) for most goals in 2025. Nobody is questioning whether Pastrnak (Czechia) will be an Olympian.

Geekie is tied with Leon Draisaitl for second-most goals in 2025. Only David Pastrnak (41) has more. Nobody is questioning whether Draisaitl (Germany) or Pastrnak (Czechia) will be Olympians.

It’s a different matter for Geekie because of his passport. You could make the case that no country has more talent than Canada.

Crosby is already on the roster. So are Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart.

Geekie’s competitors on the wing include Travis Konecny, Mitch Marner, Seth Jarvis and Mark Stone. Like Geekie, all four are right shots. Unlike Geekie, all played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off. They also kill penalties. Geekie does not.

You can see why, then, Geekie is not holding his breath when it comes to getting the Olympic nod. Unless he is planning a last-minute change of citizenship, the native of Strathclair, Manitoba, is staring at a climb with a steeper pitch than some of the Canadian Rockies.

“I appreciate it wholeheartedly. I do,” Geekie said of remaining on Canada’s long list. “Just trying to be a realist about it. I watched them play at 4 Nations. They’re a great team. Even if they just run it back with the same group or add a couple guys that are playing well, they’ll be fine. It’ll be fun to watch. It’ll be fun to play. Either way.”

Geekie’s status on Canada’s long list, however, confirms that he is now seen across hockey as the real deal when it comes to scoring goals. There was uncertainty regarding that status when he drained 22 percent of his shots to record a career-best 33 strikes in 2024-25. It’s why Geekie has never been one of Hockey Canada’s primary international participants aside from a 2021-22 stint at the World Championship.

Now that he’s scored 16 goals this season, second-most behind MacKinnon, Geekie is a name opposing coaches circle in their pre-scouts. In fact, Marco Sturm thinks Geekie can score even more.

The Bruins coach sees a tendency for Geekie to drift into non-threatening ice. If Geekie commands more high-danger territory, there may be even more goals in the 27-year-old’s Bauer Vapor Flylite.

“There’s still times he hangs out in the corner or goes behind the net,” Sturm said. “He reminds me of (Tyler) Toffoli a little bit. I had Toff here (in L.A.). He was going around a little bit more. Then he figured out, ‘OK, how do I be a threat in the offensive zone? That means being more in the slot than anything else. Be more net-front.’ So he can even be better. That’s nice. And he’s a good kid. He wants to do that.”

As Pastrnak’s linemate and No. 1 left wing, Geekie has made the left elbow his preferred workspace. He likes to load up his snapshot and aim pucks from the flank. He has also incorporated a one-timer into his portfolio that arrives rapidly. On Nov. 11, Geekie steamed a 103.03 mph slap shot on net. It is the hardest shot taken this season.

Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak have become a lethal duo for the Bruins. (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)

On Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks, Geekie scored two power-play goals, both by tipping pucks past Lukas Dostal. On his first, Geekie got between Anaheim’s defensemen, parked in front of Dostal and deflected a Hampus Lindholm shot that was going wide past the goalie. On his second, Geekie set up in the high slot in the middle of Anaheim’s penalty-killing triangle. Pastrnak pumped the puck into the area. Geekie’s long-distance tip tied the game.

Geekie’s hand-eye coordination adds another layer of danger atop the Bruins’ No. 4 power play (27.4 percent through 22 games). If penalty killers sag on Geekie between the dots, there will be more elbow room available for Pastrnak to hammer one-timers.

“He doesn’t have to be on the flank all the time,” Sturm said. “He can be the guy in the middle. He’s a righty, too. It just sets up nicely with our sticks on the power play, how we want everyone to be in their spots. He has those touches. You’ve got to be aware when he’s on the ice because of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the power play or whatever.

“We can use him anywhere, too. That’s what we’ve tried to do all year long on our power play. You don’t always have to be in one spot. You can exchange. That’s the nice thing.”

Teams are always looking for goal scorers, even Team Canada. Geekie may be a long shot. But he’s still in the mix.