Matt Grzelcyk is among the many new faces to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. Here are three things to know about him.
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed free-agent defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal on July 1 valued at $2.75 million. As an eight-year veteran, all spent with his hometown Boston Bruins, what else is there to learn about the man from Charlestown, MA?
He Made His NHL Debut Against the Penguins
The Bruins drafted Grzelcyk 85th overall at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Instead of turning pro, he pursued hockey at Boston University for four seasons.
After serving as captain in his junior and senior year, Grzelcyk reported to the Providence Bruins for training camp in 2016. On Dec. 14 that year, he made his NHL debut against the Penguins at PPG Paint Arena, which the home team won 4-3.
Almost a year later, on Nov. 24, 2017, Pittsburgh was visiting Boston when Grzelcyk scored his first NHL goal on Matt Murray in the second period.
In 25 games against the Penguins, he's tallied six goals and eight assists for 13 points.
The Grzelcyk Family Works at TD Garden
If anyone has watched a Bruins home game, there's a chance they have seen Grzelcyk's father and brother on TV. The 30-year-old's father, John Sr., began working at the Boston Garden in 1967 and continues to work at TD Garden 57 years later.
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Matt's brother, John Jr., is a Zamboni driver at TD Garden. Both Grzelcyks work on the facility's conversation crew, which covers the ice with the iconic Boston Celtics parkade flooring for NBA games and prepares the arena for concerts or other events.
Grzelcyk Was a Stand Out Defenseman at Boston University
Grzelcyk was a U.S. National U17 and U18 Teams member and played 24 games with the USNTDP Juniors in the USHL.
However, before making it to the NHL, he was a star at Boston University from 2012 to 2016. He scored 95 points in 125 games with the Terriers, scoring 10 goals in each of his final two seasons.
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Grzelcyk was named to the NCAA (Hockey East) All-Rookie and All-Tournament teams in 2013.
Two seasons later, he was a Hockey East Champion, earning many awards, including All-Tournament, First All-American, First All-Star, and D1 All-Star. During his final season in 2016, he was the NCAA New England Best Defenseman.