Matt Grzelcyk

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Matt Grzelcyk

| image = Matt_Grzelcyk_2019.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Grzelcyk with the Boston Bruins in December 2019

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|1|5}}

| birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 9

| weight_lb = 174

| position = Defense

| shoots = Left

| league = NHL

| team = Pittsburgh Penguins

| prospect_league = AHL

| prospect_team =

| former_teams = Boston Bruins

| ntl_team =

| draft = 85th overall

| draft_year = 2012

| draft_team = Boston Bruins

| career_start = 2016

| career_end =

}}

Matthew Grzelcyk ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|g|r|ɪ|z|l|ɪ|k}} {{respell|GRIZ|lik}};[https://thehockeynews.com/news/boston-fairytale-bruins-pick-ends-beanpot-in-overtime Kennedy, Ryan. "Boston Fairytale: Bruins Pick Ends Beanpot in Overtime," The Hockey News, Tuesday, February 24 2015.] Retrieved November 25, 2023. born January 5, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Boston Bruins with the 85th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.{{cite web|url=http://bruins.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8476891|title=Matthew Grzelcyk|work=National Hockey League|accessdate=14 July 2015}}

Playing career

As a youth, Grzelcyk played in the 2007 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Middlesex Islanders minor ice hockey team, along with teammates Jon Gillies and Miles Wood.{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-01-05|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/matt-grzelcyk/|title=Hockey's Future - Matt Grzelcyk|work=Hockey's Future|accessdate=14 July 2015}}

He served as captain of the Terriers his junior and senior season.{{Cite web|url = http://dailyfreepress.com/2015/04/30/matt-grzelcyks-return-prompted-by-more-than-just-unfinished-business/|title = Matt Grzelcyk's return prompted by more than just unfinished business | author = Conor Ryan |website = The Daily Free Press|date = 30 April 2015 |access-date = 2016-04-02}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://nesn.com/2015/02/bruins-prospect-matt-grzelcyk-nets-ot-goal-wins-beanpot-for-bu-video/|title=Bruins Prospect Matt Grzelcyk's OT Goal Wins Beanpot For BU (Video) - Beanpot - NESN.com|work=New England Sports Network|accessdate=14 July 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715072237/http://nesn.com/2015/02/bruins-prospect-matt-grzelcyk-nets-ot-goal-wins-beanpot-for-bu-video/|archivedate=15 July 2015}} He played 124 games during his four-year career at BU, scoring 26 goals and assisting on 69.{{Cite web|url = http://www.csnne.com/boston-bruins/bruins-sign-bu%E2%80%99s-matt-grzelcyk-two-year-entry-level-deal|title = Bruins sign BU's Matt Grzelcyk to two-year, entry-level deal|website = CSNNE.com|access-date = 2016-04-02|date = April 2016}}

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.{{Cite web|url = http://bruins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=876677|title = Bruins Sign Matt Grzelcyk To An Entry-Level Contract|website = bruins.nhl.com|access-date = 2016-04-02}}

On December 14, 2016, Grzelcyk made his NHL debut with the Bruins in a 4–3 OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.{{cite web| url = http://www.csnne.com/boston-bruins/matt-beleskey-placed-on-ltir-boston-bruins-recall-matt-grzelcyk | title = Matt Beleskey placed on LTIR, Bruins recall Matt Grzelcyk | publisher = CSNNE | date = 2016-12-14 | accessdate = 2016-12-14}}

Grzelcyk spent 6 weeks of the 2017-2018 season playing with the Providence Bruins before returning to the NHL on November 22, 2017 {{Cite web |title=Matt Grzelcyk Stats and News |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/matt-grzelcyk-8476891 |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=NHL.com |language=en-US}}

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.{{cite AV media | people= NHL | date=November 22, 2017 | title=DeBrusk scores on the rush | url = https://www.nhl.com/video/debrusk-scores-on-the-rush/t-290987616/c-54882303 | medium=Motion picture | location=New Jersey | publisher= NHL.com}} On November 24, 2017, Grzelcyk scored his first NHL goal in a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.{{cite web|url = https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/first-goal-holds-special-place-for-grzelcyks/c-293323576|title=First Goal Holds Special Place for Grzelcyks|last=Russo|first=Eric|date= November 24, 2017|website=BostonBruins.com|publisher=NHL|access-date=November 24, 2017}}

During the summer before the 2018–19 season, Grzelcyk signed a two-year contract to stay with the Bruins.{{cite web|url = https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/bruins-sign-matt-grzelcyk-to-two-year-contract/c-299080252?tid=285871326|title=Bruins Sign Matt Grzelcyk To Two-Year Contract|website=NHL.com|date= June 15, 2017|access-date=June 16, 2018}} Grzelcyk and the Bruins qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, where he suffered a head injury as the result of an elbow to the head by Blues center Oskar Sundqvist.{{cite web |title=Blues' Sundqvist suspended for Game 3 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/st-louis-blues-oskar-sundqvist-suspensions-1.5156879 |website=cbc.ca |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=June 14, 2020 |date=May 30, 2019}} Sundqvist was suspended for Game 3 of the finals, although the Blues eventually won the Stanley Cup in seven games.{{cite web |last1=Rosen |first1=Dan |title=Blues win Stanley Cup for first time, defeat Bruins in Game 7 of Final |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/st-louis-blues-boston-bruins-game-7-recap/c-307776644 |website=National Hockey League |accessdate=June 13, 2019}}

After eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, Grzelcyk left the organization as a free agent and was signed to a one-year, $2.75 million contract for the {{NHL Year|2024}} season by the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2024.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/penguins-sign-defenseman-matt-grzelcyk-to-a-one-year-contract | title = Penguins sign Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year contract | publisher = Pittsburgh Penguins | date = July 1, 2024 | accessdate = July 1, 2024 }}

Personal life

Grzelcyk's father and older brother, both named John, work at TD Garden. John Grzelcyk Sr. started working at Boston Garden in 1967 and has stayed with the organization ever since. On October 25, 2021 Grzelcyk's father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, while undergoing radiation treatments John Sr. continued work at TD Garden.{{Cite web |title=Grzelcyk's dad still on job at TD Garden after prostate cancer treatment |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/boston-bruins-matt-grzelcyk-dad-cancer-free-working-at-td-garden/c-337440370 |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=NHL.com |language=en-US}} The two elder Grzelcyks are members of the arena's "bull gang", which converts the building from hockey to basketball and back: John Jr. is also a Zamboni driver for certain Bruins games.{{cite web | url = http://www.telegram.com/sports/20161215/finally-charlestowns-matt-grzelcyk-steps-into-td-garden-as-bruin-not-fan| title = Finally, Charlestown's Matt Grzelcyk steps into TD Garden as a Bruin, not a fan | last = Doyle | first = Bill | website = telegram.com | date = December 15, 2016 | access-date = November 23, 2017}}

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.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.si.com/nhl/2015/11/27/jimmy-vesey-matt-grzelcyk-harvard-boston-university-hockey | title = Prospects and pals, Matt Grzelcyk and Jimmy Vesey make NHL wait | last = Prewitt | first = Alex | magazine = Sports Illustrated | date = November 27, 2015 | access-date = November 21, 2017 }}