FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Forward A.J. Greer will make his Stanley Cup Final debut for the Florida Panthers in Game 3, coach Paul Maurice said on Monday.
Greer, 28, last played in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, where the Panthers eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes. He missed the first two games against the Edmonton Oilers with an undisclosed injury.
Greer has two goals and an assist in 12 playoff games, forming a hard-hitting energy line with Panthers forwards Jonah Gadjovich and Tomas Nosek. He draws in for winger Jesper Boqvist. The Panthers are 10-2 when Greer is in the lineup this postseason. The defending champions are tied 1-1 with the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.
“I really hated watching from up top and not being with the guys and not being on the bench and not being able to play,” said Greer, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent last summer. “But I had to make a decision that was going to be helpful to the team. If I can’t be 100%, I’m not playing the right way.”
Greer said he’s not looking do anything but play the role the Panthers need him to play.
“I’m not trying to change anything, and I’m not trying to change my identity. I’m just trying to come back to the way that I usually play with the two guys on that line and just kind of do what we do best and then set up the next line for success,” he said.
That wasn’t always easy for Greer. He said he nearly gave up on his NHL dream back in 2021 when he was a member of the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. Greer considered leaving for Europe and continuing his career there in search of more ice time and a larger role. Ultimately, he decided that the best way to become an NHL player was to accept being a depth forward and play that role to the best of his abilities.
“I had to kind of embrace the role of playing six minutes a night and being able to do the right things with those kinds of minutes,” he said. “When I was younger, I wasn’t used to that, nor was I mentally ready to accept that fact. I was always kind of playing with that victim mindset. I had to kind of change the way I thought and really appreciate where I was.”
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final is Monday night in Sunrise.
