A.J. Greer is making his Stanley Cup Final debut for the Florida Panthers in Game 3
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A.J. Greer is back in for the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night after missing the first two in the series against the Edmonton Oilers because of injury.
Coach Paul Maurice confirmed Greer would return on Florida’s fourth line. Jesper Boqvist comes out of the lineup to make room for Greer, who will be making his first career appearance in the final.
“It’s definitely a dream come true, but I’m not really trying to focus on that,” Greer said after the team’s morning skate. “It’s another game for me and I’m just trying to enjoy it, but I’m not trying to associate anything bigger than just my next shift, really.”
Greer, 28, gutted through injury for part of this playoff run before exiting in the Eastern Conference final against Carolina when it was clear he wasn’t healthy enough to stay in. Maurice lauded Greer for his lack of selfishness and an abundance of self-awareness to understand when the pain threshold was reached and do what’s best for the team.
“Good on him for recognizing that,” Maurice said. “We were fortunate that we were able to heal A.J. to a place that he’s really confident in what he’s doing. … He’s been such a positive part of what we do.”
Greer almost wasn’t here at all. A little over four years ago, he was languishing in the minors and almost giving up on his NHL dream.
“I was pretty much 24 hours away from just calling it, going to Europe and trying to just get a paycheck, trying to squeeze out every dollar that I can out of this sport and then live my life,” Greer said. “Fortunately, things kind of bounced my way.”
Greer was essentially a throw-in as part of a trade to the New Jersey Devils that got the New York Islanders Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, who helped them reach the East final. Greer — who was a second-round pick of Colorado in 2015 and played 37 games for the Avalanche from 2016-18 — developed some confidence with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets and cracked the Devils’ roster a few times.
Agent Philippe Lecavalier challenged Greer over whether he wanted to be an AHL player or adapt his style to be a role player in the NHL.
“You could say I wanted to try to prove him wrong,” Greer said. “I kind of just went day by day, got better mentally, physically and matured with my game. I understood if I wanted to ever play in the NHL again, the way I have to play and the things I have to do — and I got a chance, so I’m very grateful for that. It all led up to here.”
At 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, Greer has been a physical force for Florida as the Panthers try to repeat as champions. He is one of the newcomers, along with their leading scorer in the final, Nate Schmidt, and teammates are happy to have Greer back.
“He’s a pain to play against,” Evan Rodrigues said. “He’s a guy that can change the momentum of a game. He’s heavy on the forecheck. For the most part, I don’t think you want to get hit by him. He’s a really good presence for us. And he chips in offensively. He lays the body. Just overall a pain the neck to play against.”
That came with time and trial and error as Greer learned how to have an impact with limited ice time. This spring brought his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he has made the most of his nearly eight minutes a game.
“My game’s grown, especially this year,” Greer said. “My confidence has grown, and I’m ready to take on the biggest challenge that I’ve really faced in my career.”
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