Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy isn’t letting pain get in the way of Olympic dream
Charlie McAvoy’s jaw has taken quite a beating this season. But nothing will stop the Boston Bruins star from representing his country.
McAvoy missed nearly a month earlier this season after fracturing his jaw from a blocked shot. Then, this past Wednesday, McAvoy was hit by Florida Panthers forward Sandis Vlimanis in the face, resulting in a grisly-looking selfie that he went on to share on social media.
Despite that, McAvoy has been an impact player with Boston, registering 39 points in 45 games. He’s on pace for 60 points, which would be the best output of his pro career.
McAvoy is now in Italy, set to make his Olympic debut with the United States later this week. He’s a little bit worse for wear, but the rough-and-tumble blueliner has never been known to back down from a battle.
“We’re very relieved, and it was concerning to watch,” U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said Sunday. “Charlie plays the game so hard. He’s a fierce competitor and he puts himself in harm’s way all the time for the sake of his team, and that speaks volumes for how competitive he is, and the courage he plays the game with.”
McAvoy rocked a full face shield while skating on USA’s top pairing at practice on Sunday. The lines will almost definitely change before the team kicks off game action at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday, but McAvoy seems likely to play in the top four, regardless.
First practice for Team USA 🇺🇸 saw some familiar Lines & Pairs from 4Nations. Top-6 and D-pairs skated together today, bottom-6 is still "projected." Jack Hughes is a go, Charlie McAvoy is too, although in a full shield.
“He’s an elite defenceman, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win,” Sullivan said. “I think that’s why he endures what he endures. He’s a physical player himself. But he takes hits to make plays a lot, and he does it undeterred.”
Oh, and that first game? It’s going to be against Vilmanis and Team Latvia. Even if revenge isn’t on the table, you have to imagine McAvoy won’t let Vilmanis, who was not suspended on the play, off easily.
McAvoy was originally part of USA’s 4 Nations team last winter. But he sustained a shoulder injury in the second game that ultimately sidelined him for the balance of the event, plus the Bruins’ remaining 25 games.
“Mentally, emotionally, physically, I’ve gone through so much because of that damn experience,” McAvoy told reporters at the time. “It cost me my season. It cost me my sanity, in a lot of ways. None of this has been easy and I get emotional when I talk about it. It was an incredible experience and I waited my whole life to be a part of something like that, but the way that it ended, the aftermath of it, and what I had to go through, it cost me a lot more than I was willing to give, and that’s unfortunate.”
Don’t expect McAvoy to change the way he plays, though.
“If you want to define toughness, it’s not just about what you dish out, it’s your willingness to take hits to make plays also. I think Charlie checks both of those boxes,” Sullivan said.
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