Boston Bruins’ A.J. Greer suspended one game for cross-checking

Boston Bruins winger A.J. Greer has been suspended for one game for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman.

The incident occurred late in the first period of Thursday night’s game between the Bruins and Canadiens. As both teams were preparing for a faceoff, Greer and Hoffman were giving each other aggressive stick taps while waiting for the puck to drop. That proceeded to increase in intensity, reaching a boiling point when Greer went for a cross-check to Hoffman’s face.

Greer received a five-minute major penalty for the infraction during the game, as well as a game misconduct. This is the first time in his career that he has either been fined or suspended.

The Canadiens would score on the preceding power play to cut the Bruins 2-0 lead in half, but the Bruins would go on to win the game 4-2. In just 2:13 of ice time, Greer had just a shot on goal and a shot block on his stat sheet to go along with the 15 penalty minutes.

Greer has managed to establish himself as a regular NHL player this season with the Bruins, and as a result is having a career year. In 52 games this season, he has 5 goals, 6 assists, and 11 points, with five of them coming in his first four games of the season.

Greer is a former second round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2015, and before this season had played just 47 career NHL games between the Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils. He’s in the first year of a two-year contract with a $762,500 cap hit that he signed with the Bruins in the 2022 offseason. It’s also the highest average annual value of his career.

Despite the suspension, the only impact it will have on the Bruins season at this point, if any, is their pursuit of any records, as they’ve already clinched a playoff spot. They pretty much have the Presidents’ Trophy locked up at this point as well, as their 55-11-5 record has them 15 points ahead of the second-place Carolina Hurricanes.