Matt Grzelcyk (SMG’16) is a defensive powerhouse Hometown Hockey Star ERIC CLASSEN

!"## $%&'()*+ ,- just a Division I, obviously your lean on stacked milk crates WEB EXTRA Watch a video freshman, but the 18-year- goal is to play one day in the at a local rink. The elder about Terrier Matt Grzelcyk old defenseman is well NHL,” says Grzelcyk, one Grzelcyk has worked for (SMG’16), who has been on his way to becoming a of nine freshmen in the 45 years as a member of drafted by the Boston Bruins, at bu.edu/bostonia. hometown success story for 2012–2013 Terriers lineup. the Garden’s “bull gang,” hockey-crazed Boston. “But you have to stay real- the team that switches Grzelcyk (SMG’16) grew istic at the same time and the arena surfaces between up a rink rat in Charlestown, realize how hard it is to get hockey and basketball then at the Belmont Hill Mass., the son of a longtime there. I have to work if I games. “I can remember School. At 16, he joined the Zamboni driver at Boston’s want it to happen.” Proof of waiting for my dad to call, USA Hockey National Team TD Garden. Two years his work ethic: in December telling me to come down Development Program in ago, he committed to play 2012 he was named Hockey and skate when the Bruins Ann Arbor, Mich., which Division I hockey at BU, East Rookie of the Month weren’t playing at home,” prepares the top amateur and in summer 2012 he was and put on the preliminary Matt recalls. “Anytime I got hockey players in the coun- chosen by the Boston Bruins roster for the U.S. National the opportunity I always try for pro hockey careers. in the third round of the Junior Team. took it.” The one drawback of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Grzelcyk’s father, John, Grzelcyk played several program, he says, was living “Playing hockey and taught him to skate at the years of youth hockey with away from home. One of the getting the chance to play age of two by getting him to the Middlesex Islanders, reasons he chose to play for the Terriers was to be close to his family and friends. Matt Grzelcyk was chosen “Matt has worked so as a third-round pick, 85th overall, by the Boston hard and has made so many Bruins in summer 2012. sacrifices,” says his father. In June, Grzelcyk and his family traveled to Pitts burgh for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. They hadn’t planned to attend, fearing they might sit around all day and never hear his name called. They were shocked and elated when the Bruins—his home team—ended up choosing him in the third round; he was 85th overall. “Putting the jersey on was something you dream about, and it was pretty unbelievable for me,” he says. “I grew up watching tapes of players like Joe Thornton, Bobby Orr, and Ray Bourque. It didn’t really

KALMAN ZABARSKY set in for a while.” AL

!" BOSTONIA Winter–Spring 2013

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