WILMINGTON, Mass.One story from Matthew Grzelcyk illustrates just how quickly tides can change in the life of a hockey player.
The Charlestown, Mass. native was just a spectator two years ago in the Ristuccia Arena stands watching Bruins development camp when Tyler Seguin electrified the packed house, and local defensemen Tommy Cross and David Warsofsky were both part of the group of prospects on the ice.
Back then Grzelcyk was a young kid getting ready to head off to the U.S. National Team Development Program, and now hes mixed in a roster with Cross among other Bruins prospects.
Thats pretty heady stuff.
I havent really had a chance to soak it in yet, so Im doing that now. I was once of those kids in the Ristuccia Arena stands watching the players out on the ice, so I know what thats all about, Grzelcyk. Its pretty surreal. I think Tommy Cross was out there David Warsofsky and Seguin two years ago too.
I thought about putting on the Bruins jersey every night. Getting out on that ice brought back a lot of memories. You try to be as noticeable as you can. Theyre out there watching to see if youre a hard worker and that youre not going to give up. So thats what Im trying to do out there.
While things have settled in for the Charlestown kid, he was still in pinch me mode while turning from adoring, attentive fan into skilled defenseman executing fancy 360 degree spin moves out on the ice.
The 5-foot-9, 171-pounder has a long way to go on the development scale and is long years away from ever potentially skating in an NHL game for the Bruins. But the first of many things on the dreams come true checked list was taken care of Thursday morning when he skated as a member of the Bruins organization for the first time.