Matt Gilroy

Gilroy played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the New Jersey Devils minor ice hockey team.[1] He later played junior ice hockey in the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) with the Walpole Jr. Stars (currently known as South Shore Kings),[2][3] Gilroy joined the college hockey ranks with Boston University of Hockey East in 2005–06. Making the team as a walk-on, he was a natural forward but was forced into the eighth defenseman position, the only available role on the team.[2] After his third college season, Gilroy attracted attention from the NHL as an undrafted free agent, but had intentions of completing his degree at Boston University.[2][4]

Gilroy at Boston University

In his senior year, in 2008–09, he was named team captain of the Terriers and recorded a college career-high 36 points in 43 games, first among Hockey East defensemen and third in the NCAA. He went on to lead the Terriers to their third Beanpot championship in four years en route to the Frozen Four Tournament. On April 10, 2009, Gilroy was announced as the winner of the 2009 Hobey Baker Award.[5] The next day, the Terriers competed for the NCAA championship against the Miami RedHawks. Trailing 3–1 late in the third period, the Terriers rallied with two goals in the final minute to force overtime. Gilroy earned an assist on Nick Bonino's game-tying goal with 17 seconds left.[6] The Terriers won in overtime, defeating the RedHawks 4–3, making Gilroy just the fifth player to win the Hobey Baker Award and NCAA championship in the same season.[2] He was additionally given his third All-American honor, becoming just the third NCAA player to earn the distinction as many times, after Rick Meagher (1977) and Chris Drury (1998).[7]

On April 17, 2009, Gilroy signed a two-year, $3.5-million contract with the New York Rangers.[8] He had initially been linked to both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks in contract negotiations.[2]

Gilroy signed a one-year contract as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 2, 2011. During the 2011–12 season, on February 27, 2012, Gilroy was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for fellow defenseman Brian Lee at the NHL trade deadline.[9]

On October 7, 2012, with the 2012–13 NHL lockout in place, Gilroy was signed to an American Hockey League (AHL) contract with the Connecticut Whale, marking a potential return to the New York Rangers organization.[10] At the conclusion of the labor dispute, Gilroy was signed to a one-year contract with the Rangers on January 13, 2013.[11]

Gilroy with Atlant Moscow Oblast

Gilroy was released to free agency by the Rangers in the off-season and, on July 8, 2013, was signed to a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers, his fourth NHL club.[12] In the 2013–14 season, Gilroy appeared in only 16 games with the struggling Panthers before he was reassigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, for the remainder of the season.

With limited NHL interest, Gilroy opted to forgo free agency to sign his first European contract on a one-year deal with Russian club Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on June 25, 2014.[13] After one year with Atlant, and partly due to fact that Atlant would not participate in the KHL from the 2015–16 season, he signed with Spartak Moscow.

As a free agent from Finnish KHL club, Jokerit following the 2017–18 season, Gilroy opted to sign a one-year deal with Swiss club, SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League on May 15, 2018.[14]