Charlestown native’s Matt Grzelcyk’s hockey journey comes full circle at TD Garden
"I think the friendships that you gain over the years, that's what you remember the most."
Matt Grzelcyk is no stranger to TD Garden.
Even before the Charlestown native donned a Bruins sweater for 445 games, Grzelcyk found himself on Causeway Street early and often.
After all, it runs in the family.
Just across the bridge from where the Grzelcyk family resides, Grzelcyk’s father, John, has transformed the Garden ice to parquet floor — and vice-versa — for more than 55 years.
John Grzelcyk has served as part of the “bull gang” — the hard-working crew that changes the playing surface at Boston’s barn from a frozen sheet to hardwood — since 1967.
Matt’s older brother — John Jr. — joined the family trade as well, logging countless hours in the dead of night hauling floor boards in and out of the bowels of the arena.
Grzelcyk’s unique office offered the opportunity for his son to occasionally skate on the TD Garden ice whenever it was left undisturbed after a Bruins game.
The fleet-footed defenseman returned to Causeway Street in college — playing in three Beanpots (and earning tournament MVP honors in 2015) with Boston University.
But for all of his hours spent on the Garden ice, Grzelcyk found himself in uncharted territory on Friday night — even if his sweater was still brushed with black and yellow.
“It’s still a little bit odd, to be honest. Same colors,” Grzelcyk, now in his first year with the Penguins said after Pittsburgh’s 2-1 win over Boston on Friday night.
“When I was at BU, we played here a couple of times — coming in the other way,” the 30-year-old defenseman added of his return to the arena. “But yeah, it was really awkward going up the back ramp. It was just pretty tight.
“I thought [the team bus] was gonna get stuck there a couple of times. I just kind of set the whole routine up. I just tried to do what I normally do before games and try to shut it off. But it was a lot to think about.”
Beyond the similar wardrobe, Grzelcyk’s hockey journey has been tethered with several links to the Penguins.
Grzelcyk was in Pittsburgh with his family when he heard his name called by the Bruins in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft — held at the Penguins’ Consol Energy Center.
Over four years later, Grzelcyk made his NHL debut with the Bruins in a road matchup against the Penguins on Dec. 14, 2016. Grzelcyk’s first NHL goal? Nov. 23, 2017 — during Boston’s Black Friday matinee matchup against the Penguins.
It felt as though it was fate that Grzelcyk’s return to Boston came on the same post-Thanksgiving bout at the Garden. And on Friday, fate favored the Penguins and a team full of hometown products like Grzelcyk.
“It was great,” Grzelcyk said. “It was kind of a long day, I didn’t know what to expect, a lot of anxiousness. Not really sure what to feel. But it was really cool to come back and play in front of friends and family again. So I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.”
Grzelcyk — who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh on July 1 — has settled into his new surroundings.
What Grzelcyk lacked in terms of size (5-foot-10), he made up for in skating and smarts during his tenure with the Bruins. He averaged nearly 23 points a season from 2020-23 with the Bruins — sparking chemistry with his former BU teammate in Charlie McAvoy.
With Grzelcyk making life easier on McAvoy thanks to his knack for crisp puck retrievals and sound first passes out of high-danger ice, the duo was regularly penciled in as Boston’s top defensive unit.
Over his eight seasons in Boston, Grzelcyk skated on a D corps that came just a game short of a Stanley Cup title in 2019 — and set the record for most wins (65) and points in a single campaign (135) in 2022-23.
Injuries sprouted up at the worst time for Grzelcyk in 2023-24 — just ahead of unrestricted free agency. He was limited to just 63 games in his final season with Boston, scoring just two goals and 11 total points. He only appeared in three of Boston’s 13 playoff matchups against the Maple Leafs and Panthers.
Joining a Penguins team bolstered by a coaching staff featuring BU alum Mike Sullivan and his former Terrier bench boss, David Quinn, made it an easy choice for Grzelcyk when he knew his time in Boston had ended.
“There’s so many Boston connections,” Grzelcyk, who logged 21:54 of ice time against Boston. “It’s kind of had a big part of why I wanted to go out to Pittsburgh when a decision came up, and it’s helped me feel a lot more comfortable around the rink.”
Grzelcyk has made the most of his time in Pittsburgh so far, recording eight assists over 25 games. His 19:47 of average ice time per contest would be the heaviest reps of his nine-year career.
The transition from Bruin to Penguin has been rather seamless. The same can be said about his adjustment as a visiting player at TD Garden.
For all of the butterflies that come with returning to a familiar rink, Grzelcyk’s nerves were alleviated by the several familiar faces he’s seen wandering the hallways of the Garden for years now.
“Just how special it is,” Grzelcyk said of his top takeaway from his extended run in Boston. “I think the friendships that you gain over the years, that’s what you remember the most. And obviously kind of grew up here a little bit so I know everyone around the rink, all the guys cleaning up the ice. So those are, those are the things that you latch on to.”
As the cheers rained down from the Garden seats during Grzelcyk’s first-period video tribute and his subsequent salute — the whole Grzelcyk clan was on hand to take in the festivities.
Grzelcyk’s hockey journey has carried him to Pittsburgh. But Boston will always remain home.
Especially if there’s a Grzelcyk working on the Garden ice.
“My dad’s been here for so long, so just to see him kind of get recognized a little bit, just made me proud of him — all the hard work he’s putting over the years, and my brother as well,” Grzelcyk said. “So I know there was a heavy crew here tonight. So just being able to come back and get a win, it was awesome. Makes it that much more special.”
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