Charlie McAvoy`s last competitive hockey game was on February 15th, a 3-1 victory for the U.S. against Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off round-robin stage.
Since then, the Boston Bruins defenseman`s season has been a whirlwind. A shoulder injury led to hospitalization due to an infection, preventing his return to his NHL team.
`Mentally, emotionally, and physically, I`ve endured so much because of that experience. It derailed my season and, in many ways, my peace of mind,` McAvoy stated on Thursday, just two days after the Bruins` season concluded.
The 27-year-old from Long Beach, N.Y., was a standout player for the American team in their initial win against Canada. However, he soon found himself in the tournament spotlight for different reasons, amidst reports that the Bruins were `unhappy` with the U.S. team`s handling of his injury.
In the meantime, McAvoy underwent a procedure to address the infection resulting from his shoulder injury.
`This whole situation has been incredibly challenging, and it`s still emotional for me to discuss,` he admitted. `It was an unbelievable experience, something I had dreamed of being part of my entire life. But the way it ended and the subsequent fallout, the ordeal I had to go through, it cost me far more than I was willing to sacrifice. It’s truly unfortunate.`
`But it`s behind me now, and after this conversation, I can finally put it to rest. I don`t want to revisit it because it came at a great personal cost.`
