Greene is one of the most unheralded defensemen in the NHL. He's even got the award to prove it. At the end of the 2009-10 season, the Trenton, Mich., native was voted by his teammates as the New Jersey Devils' Unsung Hero.
It's a fitting title for a player who doesn't produce a lot of points or throw a great many big hits but plays responsibly at both ends of the ice, plays critical minutes and seldom misses a game.
Greene is one of the most unheralded defensemen in the NHL. He's even got the award to prove it. At the end of the 2009-10 season, the Trenton, Mich., native was voted by his teammates as the New Jersey Devils' Unsung Hero.
It's a fitting title for a player who doesn't produce a lot of points or throw a great many big hits but plays responsibly at both ends of the ice, plays critical minutes and seldom misses a game.
The 11th captain in Devils history, Greene quickly made his way onto the Devils roster during his first pro season after signing as a free agent on April 4, 2006. He made his NHL debut on Jan. 12, 2007, in a 2-1 victory against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Greene settled into a regular role as a reliable defenseman and puck-mover a year later, averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time per game. He played more than 23 minutes per game in 2009-10.
Greene earned votes for the Lady Byng Trophy as the league's best sportsman in 2010 and averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time per game over 24 games during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which ended with the Devils losing in the Cup Final to the Los Angeles Kings.
A two-time team MVP at Miami (Ohio) University, Greene was a 2006 Hobey Baker Award finalist who helped guide the RedHawks to the CCHA regular-season championship during his senior season in 2005-06. He scored 114 points (27 goals) over his four seasons at Miami.
