Get to know defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason

On Fridays during the 2024-25 season, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh will spotlight a Penguins' player through a rapid-fire Q&A session using "get-to-know" questions.

This week, I sat down with Penguins' defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who was signed by the Penguins on a one-year deal over the summer.

Favorite food: You can never go wrong with a good steak

How do you like your steak done? Medium. I've been into chimichurri sauce with it at home. Been making that a lot recently.

Do you have a favorite steakhouse in town yet? I've been to Meat & Potatoes. That's the only one I can think of so far. Other than that, I've just been cooking at home.

Favorite snack: It depends, but probably some sort of chip. Either like a chip and guac or some type of Lays or something like Doritos... can't go wrong with a good chip.

TV show that you're binging right now: I'm actually at the end of LOST. I've never seen it, and everyone kept saying how good of a show it is. It definitely gets a little repetitive, but it finds a way to draw you in every single time.

What season are you in right now? I'm halfway through season three. So, I'm making progress. I thought about giving up early, but...

Nah, get through the whole thing. It's so good. It's my favorite show of all-time. Okay! That's what everyone says. I don't know what happens, but I know the finale's very controversial, so I'm, like, waiting for that right now. But yeah, that's what I'm into right now.

Favorite hobbies off the ice? Maybe some fall hobbies? Well, I've got my first pet. I've got a dog at home, he's two and a half. So, especially before it snows, just take him on long walks. Like, (Sunday), we had a day off, I took him on a long walk, went to this barbecue place that's outside, and got to watch football and stuff. So, yeah, usually, just getting my hands full with him and just finding different things to do with him around the city.

What kind of pup is he? Golden Retriever. He's the best. He's super friendly.

I have a heeler. He has so much energy, so I know what you mean about the long walks. Yeah, so you have to take him out a couple times.

Do you play video games at all? No, never got into it. I mean, when I was younger, I played NHL. I was decently into the sport ones, but I never got into, like, Call of Duty. I don't know, it just never interested me to sit and stare at a screen for that long. I don't think I have the attention span for that. And, kids these days are so good that it's not even enjoyable for me. I'd have no idea how to play, so, I don't even try. Some guys take stuff on the road sometimes, but it just never pertained to me at all.

Gotcha. I was going to ask if you ever play as yourself on NHL. Haha! I honestly don't think I've played since, like, before college, probably. I still have an Xbox, but... actually, sometimes I do play PGA Golf. But, it's like, I'll go on week binge, just one week out of the year, and I'll just sick of it. But that's the only game I'll play. But, no, I've never used myself in video games. It wouldn't be good.

Are you a golfer? Yeah, I'm starting to get into it. Ever since after college, probably. You have a lot more time on your hands. I feel like that kinda, as you get older, that's how you meet people is on the golf course, so it's an easy way to make connections outside of hockey.

Gravy said he could beat Sid. Do you think you could beat Sid on the golf course? I don't think I could, no. I've seen Sid take a couple hacks. It's pretty good. I actually played with Gravy, and he's got game. He definitely gave it to us a little bit, but that's alright. 

There's a zombie apocalypse. You can only take one item, it can't be your phone, and you can bring one teammate with you. What are you taking, and who are you bringing? I'd probably take Letang. We have good chemistry playing together, and I just feel like he's a leader, he's an animal, he can get things done. Hands-on, I'd say. What am I going to bring with me? I have no idea. 

Cody gave a couple of suggestions. He said a water filter, a lighter... I was going to say, what about just a water bottle? Because I feel like if I got lost somewhere, I could always find water at some point. But a water filter makes a lot more sense, so you don't get sick.

Yeah. But I guess if you can only bring one item, would you need the bottle more than the filter to hold the water? Yeah, give me the bottle. I'll take the bottle.

Dogs or cats? Dogs.

Are you a morning or a night person? I would say a morning person. I'm usually an easy riser now.

Are you a late or an early arriver? I'm, like, insanely early. My dad was super worrisome and always, like... if we had a flight, we'd be there three hours before, so that stick with me since I was a kid.

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

Street hockey or mini sticks? Street hockey.