Former NY Islanders defensman Andy Greene returns to his roots with NJ Devils

Certain players lace up their skates every night who are difficult to root against, and Andy Greene was sure one of those players.

Greene played four years of college hockey at the University of Miami (OH), going undrafted, but signing with Lou Lamoriello and the NJ Devils before the 2006-07 season. After 13.5 seasons in New Jersey and 2.5 with the NY Islanders, Greene was hired by the Devils today to serve as an advisor to GM Tom Fitzgerald.

During his tenure with the Devils, Greene served as an alternate captain for three years and captain for another five. With the Islanders falling in the standings during the 2019-20 season, Lamoriello turned to a familiar face to help his team along the blue line. The Islanders acquired Greene for a 2021 second-round pick and prospect David Quenneville. But after playing only 10 games with the Islanders, the league and the world shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

When play resumed in the Toronto/Edmonton bubbles, Greene became an integral part of the Islanders' run to the semi-finals. He appeared in 21 of the Islanders' 22 postseason games, scoring twice and adding two assists.

His most memorable moment came during Game 7 of the quarterfinals against the Philadelphia Flyers, where Greene wired a goal passed Carter Hart off a Derrick Brassard feed, giving the Islanders a two-goal lead en route to a 4-0 victory and the organization's first Conference/Semi-final appearance since 1993.

Greene returned to the Islanders for the 2020-21 season, playing in 55 regular season games and 19 in the postseason, on the Islanders' run to the Conference Finals.

Greene played one more season with the Islanders in 2021-22 before hanging up his skates after 16 seasons in the NHL.

Though Greene was a loyal Islander and someone Lamoriello trusts, it's great to see him return to the game with the team he spent the majority of his career with.