John Grzelcyk’s job will be done by the time the Bruins take the ice Wednesday night for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He’s a member of what’s known as the Bull Gang — the group of workers that transition the Garden from a basketball court, to an ice arena, to a concert hall and back again.
But tonight, Grzelcyk will be focused on his son: Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.
Grzelcyk grew up as a Bruins fan and got a job working at the Garden in 1967. He has always admired players like Bobby Orr, he said.
Years later, Grzelcyk started taking his son Matt skating in Charlestown — only about a mile away from the Garden — almost as soon as he could walk.
“He just loved it,” he said. “You can drive anyone to the rink, [but] you can’t make them skate. … He took to it like a duck to water. … And the more I gave him, the more he wanted.”
Now at 25 years old, Matt is helping to make Bruins history. This year is the first time the Bruins are facing the Saint Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Final since 1970 — the same year Orr made his legendary game-winning goal, which is immortalized in a statue outside of the Garden.
But if you ask Grzelcyk, Orr’s got some competition.
“I always said that was the greatest goal ever,” said Grzelcyk. “And then [Matt] scored his first goal as a Bruin, and then he just scored two goals in the Playoffs … so Bobby Orr is probably down to number four.”
