The Boston Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years in 2024-25. That led them to trade captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup. Part of the reason for the Bruins' second-half struggles was losing Charlie McAvoy to an injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The defenseman spoke with NHL.com's Bill Price at Team USA's Olympic camp about his injury status.
“It was a long summer, but in a lot of ways it was beneficial,” McAvoy said, per Price, “a chance to have a lot of months, to put in a lot of work, which is nice, something that I haven't really had since we have always been a playoff team. It was a longer summer, but I used it to my advantage.”
McAvoy injured his AC joint during Team USA's round robin win over Finland. He underwent treatment and played in the next game, but an infection popped up shortly after the win over Canada. That infection sent him to he hospital when the team returned to Boston the next day. He did not play a game for Team USA or the Bruins from then on out.
The Bruins felt his departure, even though they were unlikely to make the postseason anyway. McAvoy is under a long-term deal to stay in Beantown. And, he is already locked into the American Olympic team for 2026 in Italy. The large expectations that usually follow Boston are gone, but McAvoy will be back in the Red, White, and Blue for a team that expects to win Gold.
The Bruins hired Marco Sturm as the head coach, and he has a big decision to make. Marchand's departure means they need a new captain, and McAvoy is certainly a candidate. Even with low expectations, the fans would be fired up to see a healthy McAvoy with a “C” on his chest on opening night.
