Team USA defenseman Charlie McAvoy remains hospitalized at Massachusetts General with “an infection in his right shoulder as well as a significant injury to his AC joint,” the Boston Bruins announced Wednesday.
His status for the NHL season, which restarts Saturday, is unclear. The 27-year-old is Boston’s top defenseman, with 23 points in 50 games and 23:40 in average ice time per game.
According to Bruins head team physician Dr. Peter Asnis, McAvoy sustained an injury in his right shoulder’s acromioclavicular joint in Team USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off game against Finland on Feb. 13. Team USA’s medical staff – led by Dr. Joel Boyd of the Minnesota Wild – administered treatment to McAvoy. The defenseman played 19:27 against Team Canada on Saturday night in Montreal, delivering one of the tournament’s most memorable hits on Connor McDavid in the Americans’ win.
When McAvoy returned to Boston, Asnis said he developed increasing pain and was evaluated by the Bruins’ medical staff. McAvoy did not play against Sweden on Monday night, replaced in the lineup by defenseman Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators.
It was later revealed that McAvoy had been admitted to the hospital.
“After undergoing X-rays, MRIs, and bloodwork, he was diagnosed as having an infection in his right shoulder, as well as a significant injury to his AC joint. He underwent an irrigation and debridement procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital on February 18. He remains in the hospital, where he is being treated with IV antibiotics, and his condition is improving,” said the Bruins in a statement.
U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, who is McAvoy’s father-in-law, lamented the loss of his defenseman for their championship final against Canada on Thursday.
“It’s tough. Charlie is a terrific hockey player and he’s a big part of this team. He’s played extremely well through this tournament. When you lose players of that caliber, they’re not easy to replace,” he said Tuesday. “I know from a personal standpoint what this tournament meant to him and how much he was looking forward to playing in this. So having said that, we have capable people, we have a lot of depth at all the positions. It is going to provide opportunities for others to step up.”
Since Monday, there’s been speculation about how Team USA will handle being shorthanded on defense with McAvoy out. Tournament rules stipulate that a team cannot add anyone that’s not currently on the roster unless they would potentially play shorthanded due to multiple player losses – essentially, the U.S. would need another defenseman to be unable to play in order to bring another player in for Thursday’s game.
Sullivan said on Tuesday that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was originally on the roster but unable to play due to injury, “was coming” to Boston as an injury reserve. Hughes practiced yesterday in Vancouver in a non-contact jersey.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported Wednesday that Hughes had just traveled back to Vancouver earlier this week and won’t make another cross-continent trip to Boston unless he’s going to play. Hughes plans on skating in Vancouver today.
