Oakville, Ontario. – Connor Geeke and Denton Matychuk were competitors.
Then they were teammates. And not long after that, best friends.
The bond formed inside Manitoba arenas and on the province’s baseball diamond has brought the duo closer together as they challenge, push and support each other.
Now they are on the cusp of creating another, much bigger memory.
Geekie and Mateychuk are among 30 players hoping to attend Canada’s selection camp ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championships scheduled to open Dec. 26 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“It was crazy,” Jickie said. “We always seem to run into each other at the rink or on the court. We’ve become very close through it all.
“Best friends for a while now. It’s very special.”
Geki grew up about 250 kilometers west of Winnipeg in the town of Strathclare, while Matyshuk is from the Dominion City — which is definitely not a city — about 90 kilometers south of the provincial capital.
The duo suited up on opposite sides of minor hockey during the harsh prairie winter, but were teammates for the spring sports season.
“Very competitive guys,” Matychuk said. “When we play against each other, we give our best.”
However, the brothers are really stuck in baseball with the Manitoba team.
“Toss up,” Geiki said when asked who was superior between the chalk lines. “I was definitely a better hitter. He was a better pitcher.”
“I threw hard. I didn’t really know where things were going.”
Matychuk agreed with the assessment.
He said: “I threw from the left side.” “I had a big hook. It gave me a little advantage.”
Geekie, a six-foot-four, 197-pound center, had a slight edge in the 2022 NHL Draft, going 11th overall to the Arizona Coyotes. Matychuk, a five-foot-11, 191-pound defenseman, was next picked at No. 12 by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“This makes good TV,” Canada coach Alain Letang said of their tangled paths. “They’re close and I think that attracts more men to our room.”
The 19-year-olds are not only expected to be part of the team, but should be key players in the country’s quest for a third consecutive gold medal.
“Matychuk is a man now,” said Peter Anholt, who leads the Canadian management group. “He plays a lot, he plays smart. He’s learned to play within the system, but he uses his talent to help his team.
“His game has matured a lot over the last couple of years.”
This season especially. The Blueliner was fired out of a cannon with a 23-point streak to start the 2023-24 season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League.
“Impressive for sure,” said Jecki. “I haven’t talked much about it, but he’s a great player.”
Named after famed pitcher Denton (Cy) Young, Matyshuk credited the rookie and training camps with Columbus for his recent development, including honing instincts in different situations.
“You learn as you go along what you need to do to get to the next level,” said Matychuk, who scored six goals and 35 points in 24 games for Moose Jaw. “The most important thing is control when you are on the ice and joining the rush and when you are sitting back.”
A skilled forward, Geekie has grown into his big frame in recent years, to go along with some snarl, in the WHL for the Wenatchee Wild after the franchise moved from Winnipeg to Washington state in June.
“I was very skinny when I was coming into the league – to be honest, it wasn’t nice,” said Geki, who has scored 20 goals and 49 points in 26 games this season. “I’m playing hard now and protecting the puck with my body. I’ve found the other half of my game where I can play with a chip on my shoulder.”
Having two older siblings will do that.
“The third-baby gene is going to come out a little bit more,” said Jakey, whose brother Morgan plays for the Boston Bruins. “To be more competitive and try to make it happen every night.
“Make someone feel my presence on the ice.”
Geekie did just that this week at selection camp after losing the puck during a 3-on-3 session.
“He gets angry and bullies two guys and then takes them back,” said Letang, whose group won 4-2 over a team of Canadian University stars on Tuesday. “He’s got to be a workhorse for us. He’s got to be that guy. I like his confidence. He’s got some swagger in our locker room. We need that.”
“Pure talent,” Anholt added. “Any night or any play, he can make a difference.”
Geekie and Mateychuk – opponents, teammates and friends – have known each other for a long time.
“Enemies is one way to put it,” Geki said, looking back. “But I think for the most part we just wanted each other to be successful.
“It’s been so much fun growing up together.”
The next chapter could see them etching their names side by side into Canadian world junior lore.
