This kid looks like he's legit. Anytime a player is a standout in the Junior leagues or at the college level, there's the question "can he do that in the NHL?" Matt Gilroy, the 25-year old, Hobey Baker Award winner from Long Island is turning heads in his first ever NHL training camp.
When the Rangers signed him last April while they were still in the playoffs they had competition to get the Boston University graduate under contract. During the Rangers first two preseason games it has been said several times that one of the main reasons that Gilroy cho! se the Rangers was because of the system that John Tortorella uses. (Maybe he just misses bagels & NY pizza) As evidenced by the way he has played in his first two preseason games, Gilroy is an exceptional skater who likes to jump into the play frequently. Against the Devils, he scored a goal in the third period that looked like something you'd expect out of superstar forward Marian Gaborik.
He was interviewed after the Devils game and when asked what the chances were of him making the team he just said that he was thinking about practice and the rest of the training camp.
The Hockey News has a fantsay hockey pool guide every year and they seem pretty confident tha! t Gilroy will be making the Rangers roster. In fact, they've p! redicted that he'll finish the season with 47 points. Last week the message boards were laughing at that prediction. But, after watching Gilroy and the way he plays (think Mike Green, 4th forward role), that prediction may not be as wild as it sounds.
According to the Daily News:
The last time Matt Gilroy was trying to make a hockey team, he had to do everything short of borrow and steal. A very late-blooming 20-year-old freshman at Boston University, Gilroy essentially had to beg the Terriers' legendary coach, Jack Parker, for a chance to earn a walk-on spot.
This time he probably will earn himself a spot on the New York Rangers.
