Conor Geekie gets jumped by Hendrix Lapierre and Trevor van Riemsdyk as 3rd period brawl shakes up Capitals vs Lightning showdown

The Washington Capitals narrowly defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime on October 14, 2025, at Capital One Arena. This clash, part of the early-season grind for both Atlantic Division foes, got heated in the third period when Lightning rookie forward Conor Geekie found himself caught up in a post-whistle brawl.

He was grabbed and punched by Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and forward Hendrix Lapierre, leading to quick penalties but no ejections, which left fans buzzing about the intensity just moments after a game-tying goal.

Conor Geekie caught in 2-on-1 skirmish against Trevor van Riemsdyk and Hendrix Lapierre

Things got heated at 5:22 of the third, with a 30-second ESPN clip going viral on social media. After the whistle blew for a scrum near the right-wing boards, 21-year-old Lightning center Conor Geekie found himself in a tough spot, isolated and outnumbered.Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk pulled Geekie from behind by his jersey and threw several right-handed punches to his head and shoulder. Just moments after, Capitals center Hendrix Lapierre came in from the front, throwing punches while Geekie curled up defensively with little response. The broadcast commentary during the clip pointed out, "Van [Riemsdyk] and Hendrix Lapierre... got a hold of Geekie," as the rookie fought back with a few swings while held.

Geekie, famous more for his playmaking than for any brawling, appeared a bit stunned but shook it off in no time. The altercation lasted less than 15 seconds before the officials got involved, but it sparked an instant debate about the 2-on-1 nature of what happened.

Tampa Bay Lightning’s Curtis Douglas rushes to Geekie’s side during Capitals’ late-game brawl

As the tangle between Geekie, van Riemsdyk, and Lapierre went down, Lightning tough guy Curtis Douglas noticed the mismatch and rushed in to balance things out. Douglas seized Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun by the collar, which sparked a flurry of punches between themThe complete scrum had all four players—Geekie, Douglas, van Riemsdyk, and Chychrun—tangled up by the boards.

The refs quickly broke them apart, stopping a bigger fight from happening, while the crowd's oohs could be heard in the video. The commentator chimed in, "Let's see if those two don't pull [back]... everybody's going to get a minor penalty," and later, "Geekie's in the middle of a couple of guys here."

Conor Geekie and Trevor van Riemsdyk receive roughing penalties

All four participants drew matching 2-minute roughing minors at 5:22, served concurrently to minimize impact:

The penalties resulted in a short 4-on-4 period before the earlier power plays were sorted out.No game misconduct or ejections were handed out, and as of October 15, 2025, the Department of Player Safety hasn't announced any hearings. Play continued with the score tied at 2-2, and the game moved into overtime without any additional major penalties.Earlier in the first period, Tampa Bay defenseman Max Crozier had to leave due to an undisclosed injury, which meant the Lightning had to manage with just five defensemen for most of the game.The scrum, though short, raised the physical stakes in a rivalry that’s taken on new dynamics, Lightning focusing on building depth, while the Capitals rely on seasoned players like Wilson. For Geekie, it was a real trial by fire in his second season; Douglas stepping in showed the team had his back.Also Read: Boston Bruins’ Mark Kastelic charges at 6-foot-9 Matt Rempe refusing to flinch