Meet the Four Terriers on the Boston Bruins
Charlie Coyle’s return home gives the black and gold a decidedly scarlet tint
Monday’s National Hockey League trade deadline was the last chance for teams to make any roster changes. Some used the deadline to rebuild, others looked to make final adjustments to get ready for a playoff run.
The Boston Bruins, already a powerhouse this season, their 36-17-8 record tying for third-best in the NHL, apparently wanted more. So they sent center Ryan Donato and a fifth-round draft pick to the Minnesota Wild for center and former Terrier Charlie Coyle.
Coyle’s addition did more than boost Boston’s goal-scoring firepower. It also made him the fourth Terrier on the Bruins, joining defensemen Matt Grzelcyk (COM’16) and Charlie McAvoy on the active roster and center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson.
Having four former Boston University skaters on the Boston Bruins is too notable to ignore. So who are they?
Charlie Coyle
College stats (2010-2011): 53 GP (games played), 10 G (goals), 30 A (assists), 40 PTS (points)
NHL stats: 479 GP, 91 G, 151 A, 242 PTS
The newest Terrier on the Bruins roster, Coyle spent a full season (2010-2011) and part of the next at BU. After a successful freshman year that saw him named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Coyle left the team in December 2011 to join the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (29th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Coyle, whose draft rights were traded in 2011, joined the Minnesota Wild for the 2012-2013 season. Coyle holds the Wild’s franchise record for most consecutive games played—316.
Matt Grzelcyk
College stats (2012-2016): 125 GP, 26 G, 69 A, 95 PTS
NHL stats: 116 GP, 4 G, 25 A, 29 PTS
The longest tenured Bruin of the bunch, Grzelcyk joined the Terriers in 2012. The Charlestown native quickly made an impact, being named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and a Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star as a freshman. The two-time Terriers captain would miss much of his sophomore season to a shoulder injury in January 2014, but rebounded with back-to-back seasons as a Hockey East First Team All-Star to end his college career. The 2015 Beanpot MVP helped BU claim a Beanpot trophy, a Hockey East title, and a berth in the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four, where the Terriers lost a heartbreaker in the final game.
Selected as Boston’s third-round pick (85th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Grzelcyk joined the Bruins on graduating. After spending most of his rookie season with the Providence Bruins (Boston’s developmental team), the Terrier found his way into the rotation the next year and signed a two-year contract this past summer.
Charlie McAvoy
College stats (2015-2017): 75 GP, 8 G, 43 A, 51 PTS
NHL stats: 97 GP, 11 G, 39 A, 50 PTS
Grzelcyk’s senior year saw another star defenseman join the team. The first-round pick (14th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the highly touted McAvoy spent two seasons with USA Hockey’s National Development Program and helped the U18 team claim gold in the 2015 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. After being named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team as a BU freshman and the All-Conference First Team as a sophomore, he signed his entry level deal with the Bruins.
McAvoy made his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators in the first game of the 2017 Atlantic Division semifinal round for an injury-ridden Bruins team. After a strong rookie season, he finished fifth in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL Rookie of the Year Award). Despite missing an early portion of the 2018-2019 season with an upper-body injury, McAvoy has been an important contributor for Boston, which had won seven straight games prior to Saturday’s loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
College stats (2015-2017): 78 GP, 24 G, 29 A, 53 PTS
NHL stats: 29 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 PTS
Another member of the touted 2015-2016 BU freshman class, Karlsson joined McAvoy as a member of the 2016 Hockey East All-Rookie Team after leading all Terrier freshmen with 30 points.
The Bruins’ 2015 second-round NHL Entry Draft selection (45th overall) spent his rookie campaign in Providence, where he scored 32 points in 58 appearances. While Karlsson has remained there for most of the season, the Terrier found opportunities in Boston this season and added 9 points in 28 games.
All stats are accurate as of February 26, 2019.
Senior Jonathan Chang (COM) can be reached at jchang19@bu.edu; follow him on Twitter at @jonathanychang.
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