Conor Geekie’s father works in farm equipment sales
The NHL playoffs are underway, and as it turns out, some players have connections in agriculture in Western Canada.
Farms.com combed through each of the 16 playoff team rosters and found four.
Conor Geekie
Conor Geekie was born in Strathclair, Man., and currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
His family has a farm in the area, and Geekie enjoyed putting in hours there.
“When you go through and you work on the farm, it’s kind of like life outside of hockey and it means a lot to be able to go see my aunt and uncles on my farm, to be able to chip in, and to drive the combine or the grain truck or whatever it may be,” he told The Athletic in 2022. “I think it’ll be something that I’ll always cherish and it kind of makes me who I am.”
In addition, Geekie’s father Craig works in farm equipment sales.
And after Enns Brothers acquired S.H. Dayton, Geekie is taking on leadership of the Dayton branch.
Craig also played high level hockey, playing with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Spokane Chiefs in the 1990s.
Brayden McNabb
Las Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was born in Davidson, Sask., and grew up on his family’s farm grain farm.
In 2023, after winning the Stanley Cup, McNabb brought the trophy to the farm to celebrate with friends and family.
He’s credited his farm upbringing with helping him develop as a hockey player.
“It’s a different lifestyle,” he told The Associated Press in 2022. “I’m very fortunate to grow up with that, it brings a lot of character to yourself. I had a great upbringing with my parents so I’ve been very fortunate.”
And a few years before that, after signing a $10 million contract with the Golden Knights, McNabb invested in farmland.
“It was an opportunity to purchase some land with my Dad,” he told Hockey Buzz in 2017. “It’s a good investment. It keeps me to my roots. I always enjoy it.”
Zach Whitecloud
McNabb only has to look down the Golden Knights bench if he wants to talk farming.
Zach Whitecloud was born in Brandon, Man., and has shown an interest in agriculture.
“It was always just something I kind of had an eye for,” he said in an episode of VGK: Origins.
Whitecloud ended up working on a cattle farm in Chad Scharff’s family.
“Zach being Zach, he takes everything to heart and he’s 100 per cent in everything,” Scharff said in the same episode, adding that Whitecloud would feed the cattle and spend time with his family.
Brett Kulak
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak was born in Stony Plain, Alta., and grew up on his family’s 1,400-acre operation.
And used his surroundings to train for hockey.
“Dad had an old tractor tire stored away behind one shed,” he told Sportsnet in 2024. “You’d (flip) the tire across the yard, stand it up, flip it over.”