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Report: Bruins 'Extremely Unhappy' With Team USA Medical Staff

The Boston Bruins' top defenseman is out week-to-week after suffering an injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Jon Alfano

Dec 17, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Dec 17, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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As Team USA prepares to face Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night, they're doing so with arguably their best defenseman sidelined.

Boston Bruins blue-liner Charlie McAvoy, an assistant captain for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, suffered an injury earlier in the tournament, but the story didn't end there. The Bruins announced Wednesday that McAvoy remains at Massachusetts General Hospital receiving treatment for not only a separated AC joint, but for a subsequent infection.

For a Bruins team fighting for a playoff spot in the crowded Eastern Conference, McAvoy's injury could be devastating if he's out long-term. Even worse, they feel it should've never gotten to this point.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Bruins are "extremely unhappy" with how Team USA's handling of McAvoy's injury. They believe McAvoy suffered the injury in Team USA's opener against Finland on Thursday, but shortly after Saturday's game against Canada, in which he logged 19:27 of ice time and played very well, his condition took a turn for the worse.

“Fom what I understand, on Monday he was in a bit more pain, and was admitted to the hospital, and they realized the injury was more severe than believed or initially diagnosed,” Friedman said on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “And number two, there was an infection there that had to be operated on and removed. So, I don’t know if he was given a needle or shot or something like that, and it got infected, but it was something along these lines.

“I remember yesterday when it was the Bruins and not Team USA that announced that McAvoy was out, there were people saying, ‘How come the Bruins, whose GM is the GM of Team Canada, are announcing that Charlie McAvoy wouldn’t play?’ And then it became pretty clear that it’s because the Bruins were extremely unhappy with the way this had been handled, and that they felt that in this particular case, McAvoy didn’t get the proper care.”

Team USA's medical staff is reportedly the same as the Minnesota Wild's, which makes sense considering Bill Guerin is the general manager for both. However, the Bruins already had a grievance with that very staff.

Last year, Boston acquired veteran forward Patrick Maroon from Minnesota at the March 8 trade deadline, but he didn't actually make his Bruins debut until the very end of the regular season on April 13. According to Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, the Wild allowed Maroon to resume skating before the trade, while the Bruins had greater concerns about his health.

Team USA takes on Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final at 8 p.m. ET at TD Garden.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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