Matt Grzelcyk lived out the dream of almost every child born in Boston. From his adolescent days in Charlestown, he forged a path over the river to Boston University and then up Storrow Drive to TD Garden, playing for the Boston Bruins.

Now, Grzelcyk is facing the harsh reality of business in the National Hockey League after the Bruins opted not to retain the defenseman as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. With his path now on its way to Pittsburgh, Grzelyck joins the Penguins on a one-year, $2.75 million contract.

“It’s tough any time you move on from a team, but I’m definitely motivated to prove myself again as a player,” Gryzelcyck told Pittsburgh media via a Zoom conference earlier this week. “I feel very motivated coming here.”

Along with the likes of Jake DeBrusk, Grzelcyk was one of nine free agents the Bruins had on the open market this summer, none of which they re-signed. Even before the Bruins’ season came to an end in the second round of the playoffs, Grzelcyk’s stay in Boston seemed to be nearing its end as injuries held him off the ice and mitigated his performance on it for the last handful of years.

“It was a ticky-tacky injury that kept me out,” said Grzelcyk. “I was forced to go on LTIR, so I had to miss games. It was a little tough getting back and adjusting to the speed again. I wouldn’t attest it all to the injury. I lost a little bit of confidence along the way, and, as a player, it can be tough to regain that midseason. I’m trying to put that behind me now.”

Finding his form again means Grzelyck being the adept puck mover on the blue line that once made him so effective for the Bruins in the early part of his career.

During a four-year stretch from 2018-22, Grzelyck averaged more than 103 minutes of power play time per season for the Bruins, scoring an average of 6.25 points, according to Natural Stat Trick. Over the last two years, his usage on the man advantage was cut by nearly two-thirds. Last year, he played a total of just 10:42 seconds on the power play without contributing a single point.

Although his recent performance hasn’t offered much, Grzelcyk’s previous history as an offensive-minded defenseman is what likely made him an attractive piece in free agency to the Penguins, who had the third-worst power play in the league last season. However, it’s uncertain how much more time Grzelcyk will receive on special teams in Pittsburgh with future Hall of Famers Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson already operating on its blue line.

“Those are two really special players, and it’ll be a huge opportunity to play with them,” Grzelcyk said. “This is a really good opportunity. Those guys are such special players, and I want to complement them as best I can and find out exactly how they play by getting a closer look. Hopefully, I can get closer,  be more hands-on with them, and pick their brains apart to see how I can best complement them.”

Certainly, any knowledge that Grzelcyk can glean this year with the Penguins will be helpful. After his career went awry in Boston, he’s ready to find his path again in Pittsburgh.

Dan Kingerski contributed to this story.