Matt Grzelcyk

History

2009-10: Matt Grzelcyk skated for Belmont Hill High School in Massachusetts. In 31 games he scored 2 goals with 18 assists and 30 penalty minutes. He attended the USA Hockey National Team Development Program evaluation camp in the spring and was invited to join the program in the 2010-11 season. 

2010-11: Grzelcyk moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play for the USA National Team Development Program’s U17 team and represented the USA in the 2011 U17 World Hockey Challenge. He played 55 regular season games for the NTDP U17 team and scored 2 goals with 16 assists and 40 penalty minutes. Grzelcyk scored 1 goal with 5 assists and 2 penalty minutes in five games at the World Hockey Challenge as the USA won a silver medal. 

2011-12: Grzelcyk returned to Ann Arbor to skate for the NTDP’s U18 team and was part of the gold medal-winning USA U18 team at the 2012 World Junior Championship. In 60 games with the NTDP U17 team he scored 3 goals with 20 assists and had 22 penalty minutes. Grzelcyk scored 1 goal and was +5 with 2 penalty minutes in six games at the WJC. He was ranked  177th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by Boston in the third round (85th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. 

2012-13: Grzelcyk was the leading scorer amongst Boston University defensemen and was selected to the Hockey East All-Rookie team as a freshman. He scored 3 goals with 20 assists and was +12 with 26 penalty minutes in 38 games. The Terriers finished in a three-way tie for third place in Hockey East and reached the league championship game; falling 1-0 to regular season champion Massachusetts-Lowell in long-time coach Jack Parker’s final game. Grezelcyk travelled to Ufa, Russia with Team USA but was the last player cut prior to the 2013 World Junior Championship.

2013-14: Gzelzcyk played in 19 games for Boston University as a sophomore — suffering a separated shoulder in a January practice shortly after returning from the 2014 World Junior Championship. He scored 3 goals with 8 assists and was -7 with 16 penalty minutes skating for the Terriers. Boston University finished ninth in Hockey East and lost to Notre Dame in a first round playoff game. Grzelczyk was the leading scorer amongst defensemen for the USA at the WJC, one point behind forward Nic Kerdiles for the squad’s overall points lead. In five games he scored 2 goals with 4 assists and was +1 with 2 penalty minutes. The USA finished fifth after a 5-3 loss to Russia in the quarterfinals.

2014-15: Grzelcyk was the leading scorer amongst defensemen for the Terriers in his junior season at Boston University. Led by freshman Jack Eichel — who won the Hobey Baker award and was selected with the second overall pick by Buffalo in the 2015 draft — BU was the top team in the country for much of the year before falling to Hockey East rival Providence in the NCAA championship game. Grzelcyk scored 10 goals with 28 assists in 41 games and was +32 with 36 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

Grzelcyk is a small, but highly mobile defenseman with excellent offensive instincts. He is a strong puckhandler who can rush the puck and drive the offense. Grzelcyk is a power play weapon thanks to his sharp distribution skills and his ability to find soft spots in defensive zone coverage. Defensively, Grzelcyk brings a good compete level and is a determined player but his positioning is still a work in progress and he is sometimes at a disadvantage against bigger, stronger forwards due to his lack of bulk.

Future

Grzelcyk underwent off-season knee surgery — missing the Bruins' development camp and not making his regular season debut for Boston University until November 6th — but is once again one of the top offensive defensemen in college hockey in 2015-16. Now in his senior season, his skating style and ability to move the puck are well-suited to the college game. Like other smaller players he will be challenged to have the same type of success at the pro level. The Bruins have until August 15th to sign Grzelcyk or he will become an unrestricted free agent.