Florida Panthers
Panthers’ A.J. Greer Suspended by the NHL DoPS
Florida’s A.J. Greer has been suspended for three games for boarding Calgary’s Connor Zary. Did the NHL DoPS get it wrong?
Florida’s A.J. Greer has been suspended for three games for boarding Calgary’s Connor Zary. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety released its findings on Sunday, along with a video explaining its reasoning.
They note:
“As the video shows, Zary attempts to break toward the goal for a pass in the attacking zone but is hooked by Greer. Although he regains his balance, the puck slides into the corner and both players pursue it. As they come together again, Greer delivers a two-handed shove to Zary’s upper back, causing him to fall and slide dangerously into the boards.”
When it comes to how they assessed and decided on the suspension: “This is a clear case of boarding. It is important to note that Greer is in control of the play throughout. First, he hooks Zary, causing him to lose balance. Then, as Zary regains his footing at a dangerous distance from the boards, Greer delivers a shove that leads to a significant impact. If Greer intends to initiate contact, he must do so legally rather than in a manner that creates such danger.”
They finish with, “To summarize: this is boarding. Greer has been suspended once and fined once in his 316-game NHL career. The Department of Player Safety has suspended A.J. Greer for three games.”
Reactions to the Suspension News
As expected, most fans are chiming in, complaining that this isn’t nearly enough time for such an ugly hit. A number of fans are, once again, pointing out that the head of the NHL DoPS, George Parros, was a former Panther. While there’s no proof of any kind that he’s ruling in favor of players from his former teams, it’s low-hanging fruit.
The one area where fans are right is that this suspension will fail to send the message that hits from behind against a vulnerable opponent won’t be tolerated.
Next: Connor McDavid Sends a Message with Praise for Jon Cooper, Lightning
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