As the Colorado Avalanche are likely poised to enter a rebuild this offseason, they will be looking to ad not only highly skilled players, but also men of high character. One of those high-character guys might already be in the system.
On Tuesday, the American Hockey League announced that San Antonio Rampage forward A.J Greer has been named this season’s recipient of the Yanick Dupre Award, as the league’s man of the year. The award is given out annually for outstanding contributions to the player’s local community and charitable organizations.
Greer contributed to many causes, perhaps none more so than raising awareness of childhood cancer. He provided game tickets, locker room tours and even arraigned visits on a weekly basis. Greer even emceed a local St. Baldrick’s Foundation event that raised more than $88,000 for children’s cancer research.
In the AHL’s release, it stated Greer went “above and beyond” for the Rampage’s Face Off Against Kids Cancer initiative, also stating that he “has generously volunteered his time to assist the efforts of Spurs Sports & Entertainment’s nonprofit partner Silver & Black Give Back through the Team Up Challenge, providing funding for youth-led service projects that better the San Antonio community.”
Greer is not quite as nice on the ice. A second-round (39th overall) selection by the Avalanche in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, he racked up 78 penalty minutes in just 63 games. The 20-year-old also had 15 goals and 36 points. He added one assist and four penalty minutes in five games for the Avs last season.
Here is a video highlighting Greer’s contributions to the San Antonio community.
Let's take a look back at some of our favorite moments with @ajgreer_10 in the San Antonio community this season: https://t.co/YTZdhj0REK pic.twitter.com/pb7tZQokmJ
— San Antonio Rampage (@sarampage) April 11, 2017