By Seth Daniel
Charlestown hockey standout Matt Grzelcyk secured a major step in his professional career on Tuesday when he secured a roster spot on the Boston Bruins team – making complete his journey from the Emmons Horrigan O’Neil Memorial Rink in Thompson Square to over the highway at the TD Garden on Canal Street.
The news traveled fast in the Town on Tuesday, when the Bruins unveiled their opening night roster in the afternoon, and Grzelcyk was on it as a defenseman wearing #48.
That came after a very competitive camp for Grzelcyk and several young players who have given Bruins fans a tremendous amount of hope for this year and the future of the team.
Grzelcyk grew up in Charlestown, and his family still resides in the Town. He got his start in the Charlestown Youth Hockey Association (CYHA), which has been a point of pride for the organization as Grzelcyk has moved from Belmont Hill to Boston University and now to the Bruins.
“Congratulations to Matt Grzelcyk on being named to the Boston Bruins roster for the 2017-2018 season,” said Al Carrier of the CYHA. “Matt is such an amazing young hockey player of upstanding character, and he has worked so hard to get to this pinnacle in his young hockey career. We wish him the best of luck and can’t wait to see this new Charlestown Hockey hero take the ice.”
Grzelcyk faced stiff competition during camp and pre-season this year, having spent the bulk of last year in Providence, and also competing against a new crop of budding Bruins stars. In the end, he won out over some very talented defensemen and hopes to continue on the roster for the rest of the year.
Last year, he came up from Providence during the season for two games, and made a very good showing.