NHL Player Safety could fail again as A.J. Greer hit on Flames sparks Oilers outrage
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 21, 2026 (9:58)
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
NHL.com and ESPN show A.J. Greer, Florida's 13-11-24 winger with 109 penalty minutes, turned Panthers at Flames into fresh Oilers rage Friday night.
Greer scored in Calgary's 4-1 loss, then took an interference major and game misconduct after driving Connor Zary dangerously into the boards with 8:46 left.
The real story is the pattern. Oilers fans did not watch that clip as neutral viewers.
They watched it like a warning label for spring. Florida still plays on the edge, and the league still struggles to draw a hard line.
Calgary buried the game on the five-minute major. Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato scored on the power play, and that made Greer's sequence the night's true turning point.
You can see the exact moment the hit turns the temperature, and why Edmonton fans instantly made it about Player Safety again.
A.J. Greer Keeps Haunting Edmonton Oilers Fans
That frustration is real, and honestly, plenty of fans are tired of being told they imagined the pattern.
This is why Florida is such a brutal matchup. The Panthers stack pressure off the forecheck, finish every check, crowd the crease, and force opponents into scrums after whistles.
That style wins games. It also keeps dragging borderline plays into the middle of every conversation.
As of March 21, 2026, the NHL Player Safety news page showed no Greer hearing or suspension stemming from this game.
That is why Oilers fans are erupting. They do not see one ugly hit, they see another test case that likely ends with nothing.
For Edmonton, the ripple effect is simple. Every Panthers game now feels less like hockey debate and more like a question of what the league will tolerate in May.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 21|236 ANSWERS NHL Player Safety could fail again as A.J. Greer hit on Flames sparks Oilers outrage Should the NHL suspend A.J. Greer for the Connor Zary hit? | ||
| Yes | 219 | 92.8 % |
| No | 17 | 7.2 % |
| List of polls | ||