Andy Greene
Andy Greene came out of nowhere to become perhaps the greatest underdog story in New Jersey Devils’ history. An undrafted 5’11” defenseman out of Miami University in Ohio, Andy Greene joined the Devils as a free agent and made the team after a year with the Lowell Devils in the AHL. Greene would spend a decade-and-a-half as a New Jersey Devil; the rest is history.
After some breakout seasons offensively in the two years prior, Andy Greene took a bit of a step back in 2011-12 as he scored just one goal and 16 points in 56 games. Greene cooled off even further in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs with just one assist, even though he played in all 24 games. Greene was never a premier offensive player, but he was more than capable so that playoff wasn’t his finest moment.
Andy Greene remained with the New Jersey Devils until February 16, 2020, when he was traded to the New York Islanders for David Quenneville and a 2021 second-round pick. The Devils would later trade that pick and Mikhail Maltsev to the Colorado Avalanche for Ryan Graves, who recently signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent.
Andy Greene played his 1,000th NHL game as a member of the New York Islanders on November 16, 2021. Greene also appeared in 40 playoff games as an Islander, but he’ll most fondly be remembered as New Jersey Devils captain – a post he held for five years until he was traded.
The 2021-22 season was Greene’s last, and he signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the New Jersey Devils on October 12, 2022.