The Boston Bruins are coming off a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. In the game, Charlie McAvoy took a puck to the face, resulting in the defenseman leaving the game. Now, head coach Marco Sturm has provided an update, and McAvoy may need surgery.
“He’s with the doctors right now, so there’s no timeline. Obviously, he’s gonna be out [Monday] and we’ll see how he goes today with all his appointments,” said the Bruins coach after the morning skate.
Charlie McAvoy leaves the the game after taking a puck to the face pic.twitter.com/QlsNdINYoD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 16, 2025
While it is unclear is McAvoy will need surgery or not, he will be out at least for one game and possibly more. This will create some changes to the lineup.
“It's going to take all of us,” the Boston coach said about replacing their top defender. “That's all it is. I'm not gonna put it in [Jokiharju] or [Mason Lohrei]'s hands because Charlie's out. It's going to take all of us. Forwards gotta take care of our D [and] special teams we gotta be better, stay out of the box.”
McAvoy was playing on the top defensive rotation for the Bruins. Now, it will be Nikita Zadorov and Henri Jokiharju on the top rotation. Jokiharju did not play in the game with the Canadiens, but has played in 19 games this year, having three assists on the year. Meanwhile, Hampus Lindholm and Andrew Peeke are expected to play on the second rotation, while Mason Lohrei and Jonathan Aspirot are projected for the third rotation.
McAvoy was having a solid season before going down win the injury. He played in 19 games with 14 assists, sitting fourth on the team in points. He was also a major part of both the powerplay and the penalty kill.
The Bruins are now 12-8-0 on the season, which gives them the best record in the Atlantic Division. They return to the ice on Monday night, hosting the Carolina Hurricanes.







