A.J. Greer’s Debut Energizes Florida Panthers in Opening Game Victory

FORT LAUDERDALE – In a thrilling start to the season, the Florida Panthers invigorated their fans with a 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on opening night. The match was notable not only for the raising of the Stanley Cup championship banner but also for the debut performance of new Panthers forward A.J. Greer.

Greer left a lasting impression by energizing the crowd at Amerant Bank Arena early in the game, contributing significantly to the team’s dynamic performance. “It felt amazing,” Greer stated at Wednesday’s practice held at the Baptist Health IcePlex. “Energy was great, building was buzzing, and we came out hot. We stuck to the game plan. It was great to get the W. Coming out of training camp, you’re a little sluggish because you went really hard, but now we got all our energy back. We got the first one, so we got 81 more to go.”

In the first six minutes, Greer took the spotlight by engaging in a spirited fight with Boston’s Mark Kastelic following a hit on Jesper Boqvist, his linemate. Greer’s readiness to defend his teammates was clear, as was the crowd’s enthusiasm, which reached a crescendo during the altercation.

Speaking on the incident, Greer said, “The place was so loud. Once you sit down in the penalty box, you start hearing it. Just with the flow of the game and how it all went down, I think that it was the right time to kind of step up. It was eventually going to happen at some point in that game, so might as well get it out early. It was a good fight, and we fed off that energy. We got two quick goals right after that.”

Playing alongside Boqvist and Jonah Gadjovich, Greer’s physical presence combined with the line’s offensive contributions highlighted the depth of the Panthers this season. Each player secure a point, contributing a goal from Gadjovich and assists from Greer and Boqvist.

“The quality of the play was really, really high,” noted head coach Paul Maurice. “There was some speed on that to the net and lots of nice patience by Boqvist. We think he’s got a real good set of hands, but both the other two (Greer and Gadjovich) were two feet from the paint. They weren’t opening up to the far side. They went right to the net, so there’s something there.”

Having joined the Panthers on a two-year contract over the summer, Greer, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 209 pounds, brings experience from 168 NHL games, boasting 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) and 567 penalty minutes over seven seasons. His commitment to “Panthers Hockey” has been quick, as he emphasized the need for a collective buy-in to the team’s strategy and work ethic.

The Panthers set their sights on the Ottawa Senators next, a matchup that promises intensity and will further test Greer and his line as they continue to motivate and engage both fans and teammates with their high-energy play.