PORTLAND, Maine — Hockey fans enjoying baseball season in Maine got a special surprise Wednesday evening when an NHL player stepped up to the plate.
Boston Bruins' Matt Grzelcyk traded in his skates for sneakers August 7 when he threw the first pitch for the Portland Sea Dogs in their game against the Erie Sea Wolves.
Before that, he answered questions from some young hockey prospects ("What food makes you skate fastest?"), and he stuck around after to sign some autographs.
Grzelcyk is originally from Massachusetts, but he said Wednesday night was his first time at the stadium. Summer has been a reflective time for him, after the Bruins played against (and ultimately lost to) the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup.
"We came up one game short, and that will be the motivation for next season," Grzelcyk said. "As summer kind of dies down, you digest how special it was to go through that process and get an appreciation for seeing some guys who had never gone that far -- just how much it means to them. It’s something I’ll never forget for sure."
Grzelcyk got a concussion during Game Two, putting him off of the ice for the rest of the finals. Since that heartbreaking turn of events, Grzelcyk has been recovering and says he is starting to feel more like himself.
"It’s kind of nice to have a little bit of a break," Grzelcyk admitted. "But at the same time, we’re getting close to camp, and I’m starting to get really excited for next season. So I’m excited to get back on the ice soon."
Grzelcyk said that while it was disappointing not to be able to play with his team last year, that's just more reason to work hard in the season to come.
"The motivation for next year is to win more and more games until we’re hoisting the Stanley Cup," Grzelcyk said. "Getting that far, you have an appreciation for how hard it is to get to that point."