AJ Greer has found his way back to Beantown seven years after sporting the Terrier jersey for Boston University. The forward inked a contract with the Bruins during the summer’s free agency market, landing him on a team that has instilled a new confidence in his game.
“As soon as my agent presented the idea that the Bruins were interested and that they might want to give me a two-year, one-way deal, I told him, if you got that opportunity, don’t even call me back,” Greer said. “Tell them I’m going to sign it right away.”
Unlike the one-year, two-way contract Greer was under in New Jersey for the Devils’ 2021-2022 campaign, his new salary is not dependent on the league he’s playing in (either the AHL or NHL). While the money is an obvious benefit, the one-way deal from Boston represents the organization’s intention to utilize the left wing in their nightly lineup, a role that Greer said he’s ready to take on.
The Bruins’ Oct. 15 opening night was not the first time Greer took the ice at T.D. Garden, though. The former Terrier lifted the Beanpot under the same roof in 2015 as a member of arguably the best BU squad we’ve seen in the past decade. Greer played on Comm Ave for a year and a half before heading to the QMJHL for a season and eventually the NHL.
Skating with the likes of Jack Eichel, Evan Rodrigues and Matt Grzelcyk, Greer said he learned a lot from his BU teammates, who have now found stardom on the big stage. The talent of the 2014-2015 group was undeniable, and Greer said it allowed the team to take things “day by day.”
“It was such a fun group to be a part of –– I think those guys just went to bat for each other every single night,” Greer said. “We had guys top to bottom in the lineup that just loved playing for BU, loved this school and really loved playing every single night for each other.”
Growing up in Quebec, Greer decided to embark on the U.S. collegiate route, first stopping at Kimball Union Academy for some high school hockey which helped prepare him for an American university, he said. While at school in New Hampshire, Greer skated for the Boston Junior Bruins in the months before the Kimball season started.
When the time came, Greer said his 2014 commitment to join the BU team was a “no-brainer.” His godfather played as a Catamount for the University of Vermont, so joining a fellow Hockey East program paired with a full scholarship for a top-tier education was something Greer couldn’t pass up, he said.
“When you think of college hockey, BU is definitely up there with the most prominent hockey programs,” Greer said. “I took the visit and I just thought it was the closest thing to pro hockey that they could get. The facilities, the coaching staff, just the overall feel on campus. It was awesome.”
While he left the team halfway through the 2015-2016 season, Greer still has unfinished business at BU – namely, completing his degree. He said that education has always been important to his family, and the downtime during the COVID-19 shutdown presented the opportunity to get ahead in some online classes.
“I promised myself that I was always going to finish that degree which I’m doing right now,” Greer said. “I actually have my final exam here to do tonight as far as my math class goes. After this class, I have five classes left, so pretty fired up about that.”
Back at the rink, Greer is an asset to the Bruins’ depth, adding a gritty edge to the bottom six. He has garnered five points (three goals, two assists) in his first six games played in black and gold, and said his main focus this year is consistency in his performance.
“Just being able to bring that A-game and the energy, the passion, the two-way forward type deal where I can play in the D zone reliably and I can put up numbers offensively,” Greer said.
He wasted no time getting on the scoresheet this season and put up two tallies — one of which was an empty-net goal — against the Arizona Coyotes on opening night at the Garden.
Defenseman Hampus Lindholm collected the puck in the neutral zone following an Arizona turnover and dished a stretch pass to Greer for his first as a Bruin. The snapshot from the left circle came with 7:11 remaining in the third period and lifted Boston to a roomier 5-3 advantage.
“It was such a cool feeling – the fans erupted, the horn went and it was definitely a moment I won’t forget in my life,” Greer said. “It was a good home opener and definitely something I want to build off of.”
Greer has had to work to prove himself his entire professional career, bouncing between the AHL and NHL. Now in a position where he believes he can thrive, Greer said it’s all about sticking to his own game — the one that got him to this point in the first place. Signing the contract is just the beginning of Greer’s Boston story.
When Greer signed the contract with the Bruins, some big names within the organization contacted him that day.
“[General Manager of the Boston Bruins Don] Sweeney called me, Coach [Jim Montgomery] called me and I just felt so much love from that organization from day one. Even [Patrice] Bergeron gave me a call that day. It was amazing,” Greer said. “It was special to put the ‘B’ on because it was something out of tradition and history.”