Bruins forward A.J. Greer has been suspended one game for cross-checking Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman in the face during Boston's 4-2 win Thursday night.
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The play came late in the first period when Greer and Hoffman began jawing and exchanging a couple light slashes before a neutral-zone faceoff. Greer then delivered the crosscheck, which resulted in a cut below Hoffman's mouth. Greer was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct, and will now miss Saturday's game against Tampa Bay as well.
This is the first supplemental discipline of Greer's 99-game NHL career. He was suspended for six games while playing in the AHL in 2019 when he left the penalty box to fight former Bruin Jarred Tinordi.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery acknowledged after the game that Greer had crossed the line and would have to better keep his emotions -- and stick -- under control going forward.
“We talk about playing with emotion, which is great, but not getting emotional,” Montgomery said. “Unfortunately, Greersy, his stick rode up. I don’t know if it rode up his stick or his shoulder pad, but it cut him. It’s something we can learn from in the playoffs. You can’t take those kinds of penalties in the playoffs.”
As the NHL's Department of Player Safety pointed out in its video announcing Greer's suspension, his stick did not ride up Hoffman's stick or pads; it was in fact a direct shot to the face, which is why it rose to the level of supplemental discipline.
This is the first suspension for a Bruins player this season.
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