Matt Grzelcyk
| Matt Grzelcyk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 5, 1994 Charlestown, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team | Boston Bruins | ||
| NHL Draft |
85th overall, 2012 Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 2016–present | ||
Matt Grzelcyk (/ˈɡrɪzlɪk/ GRIHZ-lihk;[1] born January 5, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Bruins with the 85th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.[2]
Playing career
Grzelcyk attended Belmont Hill School before joining the USNTDP of the USHL, winning a gold medal at the 2012 U18 World Juniors in the Czech Republic. He committed to play for Boston University in the Hockey East Conference of the NCAA.
He was named to the Hockey East All-Freshman team in 2012. He was selected to the preliminary roster for the 2013 World Juniors but did not make the final cut.[3]
He served as captain of the Terriers his junior and senior season.[4] He was named an assistant captain at the 2014 World Juniors but the US did not medal. He scored the overtime winning goal in the 63rd Beanpot that gave BU their 30th title, and was named the tournament MVP.[5] He played 124 games during his four-year career at BU, scoring 26 goals and assisting on 69.[6]
On April 1, 2016, he signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Boston Bruins, starting with the 2016–17 season. He joined Boston's affiliate Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) on an Amateur Tryout Agreement for the rest of the 2015–16 campaign.[7]
On December 14, 2016, Grzelcyk made his NHL debut with the Bruins in a 4–3 OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.[8]
On November 22, 2017, in a game against the New Jersey Devils, Grzelcyk got his first NHL assist on a goal from teammate Jake Debrusk.[9] On November 24, 2017, Grzelcyk scored his first NHL goal in a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.[10] During the summer before the 2018-19 season, Grzelcyk signed a two year contract to stay with the Bruins.[11]
Personal life
Grzelcyk's father, John, and older brother, also named John, work at TD Garden. John Grzelcyk Sr. started working at Boston Garden in 1967 and has stayed with the organization ever since.[12]
Growing up, Grzelcyk lived a block from the Charlestown rink at Edwards Playground. He also grew up with fellow 2012 NHL Entry Draft pick Jimmy Vesey. The two first met when they were around the age of six, playing hockey together for a team named the Middlesex Islanders.[13]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | Belmont Hill School | USHS | 31 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 36 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 24 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Boston University | HE | 38 | 3 | 20 | 23 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Boston University | HE | 19 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Boston University | HE | 41 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Boston University | HE | 27 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 70 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 61 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 63 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | United States | U17 |  |
5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2012 | United States | WJC18 |  |
6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2014 | United States | WJC | 5th | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 16 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 6 | ||||
References
- ↑ 2017–18 National Hockey League (NHL) Pronunciation Guide. Retrieved October 3, 2018
- ↑ "Matthew Grzelcyk". National Hockey League. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ↑ "Hockey's Future - Matt Grzelcyk". Hockey's Future. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ↑ Conor Ryan. "Matt Grzelcyk's return prompted by more than just unfinished business". The Daily Free Press. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ↑ "Bruins Prospect Matt Grzelcyk's OT Goal Wins Beanpot For BU (Video) - Beanpot - NESN.com". New England Sports Network. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ↑ "Bruins sign BU's Matt Grzelcyk to two-year, entry-level deal". CSNNE.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ↑ "Bruins Sign Matt Grzelcyk To An Entry-Level Contract". bruins.nhl.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ↑ "Matt Beleskey placed on LTIR, Bruins recall Matt Grzelcyk". CSNNE. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- ↑ NHL (November 22, 2017). DeBrusk scores on the rush (Motion picture). New Jersey: NHL.com.
- ↑ Russo, Eric (November 24, 2017). "First Goal Holds Special Place for Grzelcyks". BostonBruins.com. NHL. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- ↑ "Bruins Sign Matt Grzelcyk To Two-Year Contract". NHL.com. June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ↑ Doyle, Bill (December 15, 2016). "Finally, Charlestown's Matt Grzelcyk steps into TD Garden as a Bruin, not a fan". telegram.com. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ↑ Prewitt, Alex (November 27, 2015). "Prospects and pals, Matt Grzelcyk and Jimmy Vesey make NHL wait". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 21, 2017.