Matt Gilroy Joins Boston University Men’s Hockey Staff

The Boston University Terriers have hired former player Matt Gilroy as their director of player development ahead of the 2026-27 season. Gilroy played four seasons at the school between 2005 and 2009. He served as captain and won the Hobey Baker Award in his senior season, while supporting the Terriers to the 2009 National Championship.

Gilroy followed a prolific college career by signing with the New York Rangers as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2009-10 season. He appeared in 69 games in his first NHL season, marked by 15 points and 23 penalty minutes. Gilroy quickly carved out a role as a two-way right-defender capable of filling a depth role. That presence would turn him into a journeyman across the NHL. Gilroy moved from the Rangers to the Tampa Bay Lightning in free agency ahead of the 2011-12 season, then joined the Ottawa Senators via trade partway through the year. He returned to the Rangers in 2012-13 and closed his NHL career on a two-way contract with the Florida Panthers in 2013-14.

Gilroy opted to move overseas after totaling 48 points in 225 career appearances in the NHL. He spent four seasons in Russia’s KHL, spread between Atlan Mytishchi, Spartak Moskva, and Jokerit. During his Russian tenure, Gilroy joined Team USA for the 2018 Winter Olympics. He served as the team’s assistant captain and scored one point in five games en route to a seventh-place finish. Gilroy led all KHL defensemen with 20 assists and 27 points in 55 games in the same season. He closed his playing career with one season in Switzerland’s National League.

He shifted to coaching following his playing career, notably overseeing the 2006-born U.S. NTDP class in their U17 and U18 seasons. Serving as an assistant coach, Gilroy supported a blue-line that featured Cole Hutson, Logan Hensler, and EJ Emery. The 2006 group also included Cole Eiserman, James Hagens, Max Plante, and Trey Augustine. Once that class graduated, Gilroy moved to an assistant coach role with Harvard University, where he has spent the last two seasons. He’ll now move across Boston to join his former alumni, ahead of what could be the start of a turnaround for the Terriers.

Boston University has recruited Caleb Malhotra, Xavier Villeneuve, and Carter Meyer since the NCAA changed its CHL eligibility rules. The trio will likely headline the Terriers’ lineup for years to come, with Malhotra and Villeneuve likely to be the stars of the 2026-27 roster before Meyer joins in 2027-28. Gilroy will oversee their development at Walter Brown Arena, applying lessons learned from a 10-year pro career and support of an NTDP club that produced 22 NHL draft picks.