From Walpole to Weymouth, here are the local actors on the Bruins

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Neither the 2011 Bruins Stanley Cup winning team nor the roster that re-entered the Cup in 2013 has touted a single player from the Boston area.

In 2019, the tables turned. Three Bruins grew up in the Boston area: Matt Grzelcyk comes from Charlestown, Charlie Coyle from Weymouth and Chris Wagner from Walpole. All three made a significant contribution to the 2019 Stanley Cup final.

Matt Grzelcyk

Although Grzelcyk is only 25 years old, he is the oldest Bruins in the Boston area.

Grzelcyk was born and raised in Charlestown, just across the Charles River, at TD Garden. His father, John, is a long-time member of the Bull Gang, the team that converts the surface of the ice rink into a basketball court or regular floor for other events at the arena.

When Grzelcyk made his NHL debut for the Bruins on December 14, 2016, he declared to the Telegram and Gazette he attended many Bruin games growing every time his father could sneak him in.

After the Bruins selected Grzelcyk in the third round of the NHL draft in 2012, he enrolled at Boston University and played four years for the Terriers. He scored 95 points in the blue line in 125 university matches, was captain of the team in his last two seasons and won the 2015 Beanpot against Northeastern with a goal in overtime.

Grzelcyk broke through the NHL's full-time NHL lineup in 2017 and became a quality defender in three zones. He had seven points in 17 games in the playoffs, including two in the second game of the Bruins against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals.

"Just to be on this stage and be part of this team, I pinch myself a bit every day," said Grzelyck at the Boston Globe after his performance of the game 2.

Charlie Coyle

Coyle, from Weymouth, joined the Bruins just before the trade deadline this season in a contract that sent prospect Ryan Donato to the Minnesota Wild.

In 2007, Coyle played a supporting role in Weymouth High's trip to the Super 8 Final as a freshman. His stint in high school in his hometown was short-lived, however; He attended the Thayer Academy at Braintree for two years and recorded 48 points in 26 games in 2008-09.

Coyle returned to Weymouth High for his senior senior year, but he played with the Eastern Junior League South Shore Kings rather than Weymouth's own team to better prepare for Boston University. Coyle scored 63 points in 42 games with the Kings and made a name for himself among the professional teams to be selected in the 2010 draft of the 2010 NHL draft by the Sharks.

Coyle left the BU in the middle of his sophomore year to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and went professional in 2012. He spent his first six full NHL seasons with the Wild before the Bruins sprang. buy his services on February 20th.

Coyle was silent on the scoresheet until the end of the regular season (six points in 21 games), but he caught fire at the start of the playoffs. He scored three goals in the Bruins first-round series against the Maple Leafs, two goals (including the overtime winner) against the Blue Jackets on April 25 and a total of four points in the Hurricanes Bruins sweep. .

Chris Wagner

Wagner, 27, grew up in Walpole and attended Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood. He played with Coyle on the South Shore Kings and the duo led the team scoring in 2009-10.

Wagner's fantastic year (83 points) earned him a spot on the Colgate University hockey team. The Ducks chose him for the fifth round of the NHL draft in 2010 – 94 caps after Coyle's pick. He played two seasons at Colgate (70 points in 79 career games) before becoming professional after the 2011-12 season, signing with the Ducks organization.

He also played at the Avalanche and Islanders before signing with the Bruins in free agency last July. Wagner has made a name for himself in the NHL with his hard-hitting style (his 253 wins in 2017-18) and his energetic playing style, but his return to Boston has marked, slightly, a return to his defining days in Foxborough with the South Shore Kings. Wagner had 12 goals and 19 points overall in his first season with the Bruins, two career highs. He scored two goals against the Hurricanes before getting injured in the arm blocking a shot in the third game.

Despite the Bruins' long wait between the end of their third-round series and the start of the Cup final, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Wagner would likely not return in the first game against the Blues on May 27

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