Take away the palm readers. Skip the psychics. Wave bye-bye to the astrologists. Don’t need ’em. You or I could have foretold Matt Grzelcyk’s future when he was about, oh, the age of 2.
Let’s see, his old man had been working on the "Bull Gang" changeover crew at the original Boston Garden since 1967. His older brothers were hockey players in suburban Charlestown, Mass. And his eyes were glued to the TV set every time a certain pro team got ready to play.
Is it any wonder then that Matt wound up aching to play for the Boston Bruins? Good call, there, Nostradamus.
"My brothers played and I would follow them around with my little stick,’ Grzelcyk recalls with a chuckle after a recent Bruins win over the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. "So it was pretty cool just to try to keep up in their footsteps.’
Actually, with the exception of a brief two-season stint in Michigan with the developmental United States Hockey League (where he won a U-18 world juniors gold medal in the Czech Republic) and a couple tenures with the Providence Bruins, Matt has never really left Beantown.
The young defenseman spent four years playing for Boston University, highlighted by a winning goal in the wildlypopular Beanpot Tournament.
Much of the 23-year-old’s first memories center around accompanying his dad, John, to what has superceded the old Garden, now TD Garden.
"It was awesome,’ Matt says. "My dad worked on the crew which changed over the building from the Celtics to the Bruins or concerts and stuff.
"When I was younger, I had the privilege of going over and skating a couple times when the Bruins were on the road when they kept the ice up, so those are memories I will never forget.’
Playing for the Terriers was great enough, but to be taken by the hometown Bruins in the third round (85th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft was just over the top.
"It’s something I dreamed about for sure growing up,’ he says. "You never know if it’s going to come true. For two years I left to play in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I think that experience, being away from my family, helped me mature, especially away from the ice. I think that just better prepared me, coming back to school at BU. Things worked out. I got drafted by the Bruins, and it’s kind of a crazy story, I guess.’
Does he think he gets a little more energized playing in front of family and friends rather than in a city thousands of miles away?
"Yeah, for sure,’ he says. "When you have a lot of people watching you, you don’t want to disappoint them. I think you have to put your best foot forward each game. Play consistently and hopefully appease them.’
Then again, that comes as no surprise to Grzelcyk, who chose to play his college hockey in Boston, which is just as much a madhouse as the NHL stuff from a fan’s perspective.
"I think that’s something I learned growing up,’ Matt says. "Playing in the Beanpot, that means so much to so many people. I think that aspect of hockey’s been a part of me ever since I was little.’
Plus, his size (listed as 5-9, 174) — or lack of it — endears him to fans, who appreciate the finer points of the game.
In other words, he has to use his mind as much as his shoulders and hips in down-low coverage situations.
"That’s the way the game is going,’ he says. "If I can have my legs going early and kind of use my smarts to angle guys off, the bigger guys especially … I used my speed to my advantage growing up. I try to get up the ice quickly to beat their forwards, make plays.’
The Beanpot winner remains one of the highlights of his young career. In the deciding game in February 2015, BU and Northeastern were knotted at 3 going into overtime.
Just 51 seconds into OT, Grzelcyk fired a power-play shot from the point off an assist from Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.). It went in and gave BU its first Beanpot title since 2009.
"Yeah, it was cool,’ Matt says. "I wouldn’t really consider myself a goal scorer. That’s something you kind of dream about growing up in Boston, practicing when you’re younger. For that to happen was also a dream come true. I still can’t believe it went in.’
Matt signed a two-year entry level contract with the Bruins on April 1, 2016, and made his NHL debut on Dec. 14 of that year in a game against Pittsburgh.
He’s split time between the NHL and AHL this season, getting into eight games with Boston as mid-December approached.
Brothers John and Andrew didn’t go beyond high school hockey. What made the difference for Matt?
"I just had people always pushing me, I guess,’ Matt says. "Especially my dad and my brothers. I was lucky to have a lot of people in my corner.’
The Grzelcyk cheering section can get a little loud at times. But Matt says he attempts to concentrate on his job.
"When I play I try to block that noise out,’ he says. "Just concentrate on my game. But it (support) doesn’t hurt.’
The plan has always been to stay in Boston.
And you don’t need a crystal ball to figure that one out.
