Report: Charlie McAvoy ‘week-to-week’ after procedure to deal with infection
"He’s obviously disappointed that he won’t have the ability to participate in the championship game. This tournament means a lot to him."
The Bruins kept details to a minimum on Tuesday when they announced that Charlie McAvoy was set to miss Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between the U.S. and Canada at TD Garden.
“Charlie was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday to undergo testing related to an upper-body injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off and is currently being evaluated by Boston Bruins Head Team Physician Dr. Peter Asnis,” the team statement noted.
“He will not play for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game on Thursday at TD Garden. The Boston Bruins will provide further updates on his condition and status as soon as they become available.”
While it was unclear what ailment McAvoy was dealing with or how he suffered said injury, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff offered up more details on Tuesday night about Boston’s top defenseman.
“Team USA defenseman Charlie McAvoy is expected to miss multiple weeks of action for the Boston Bruins after undergoing a procedure on Tuesday to cut out and clean an infection, sources told Daily Faceoff,” Seravalli wrote.
McAvoy was ruled out of Team USA’s 2-1 loss to Sweden on Monday due to an upper-body injury — just a few days after playing a key role in the Americans’ dramatic 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday night in Montreal.
“He’s obviously disappointed that he won’t have the ability to participate in the championship game. This tournament means a lot to him. He’s a very competitive guy,” Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan, who is also McAvoy’s father-in-law, said Tuesday. “Obviously, there’s a personal note with respect to my relationship with him and I’m disappointed for him because first and foremost, he’s a great kid and he’s a terrific hockey player, and I know this meant a lot to him.
“So, under all the circumstances, he’s in good spirits. I know he’s disappointed. He wanted the opportunity to compete in the championship game.”
McAvoy’s absence for Team USA on Thursday is substantial, given that he doled out several bone-crunching hits against Canada stars Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby on Saturday night.
“I thought he was a beast. Some of those hits, especially against top guys who are hard to line up anyway — I thought he was fantastic,” Brandon Carlo said Tuesday, adding: “He’s the kind of guy who always steps up to the occasion. So I didn’t expect anything different.”
While McAvoy will be on the outside looking in as Team USA takes on Canada on Thursday, Seravalli noted that the 27-year-old blueliner will be on the mend for much longer as the Bruins resume regular-season play this weekend.
“McAvoy, 27, was hospitalized on Monday night after sources indicated he had severe pain from an infection that developed stemming from a relatively minor “upper-body” injury,” Seravalli wrote. “The infection required urgent medical attention to stabilize the infection and stop the spread with antibiotics, followed by a procedure to scrape it out and flush it clean. The result of the procedure will keep McAvoy sidelined on a week-to-week basis until the area can heal.
“McAvoy remained in a Boston hospital later on Tuesday for observation but was expected to be discharged if no further complications arose. There is no long-term concern for McAvoy’s health.”
No long-term issues stand as the top priority for both McAvoy and the Bruins, who still have 25 games left on their regular-season schedule.
But a weeks-long absence marks yet another setback for a Boston team staring at an uphill climb as it tries to claw back into the playoff picture.
Even as Hampus Lindholm nears his return from a months-long stint on long-term injured reserve, losing McAvoy’s physicality on the blue line would be a major loss for Boston moving forward.
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