A statement released by the Boston Bruins this week regarding the details of Charlie McAvoy‘s injury was the first clue that something odd might have been going on. The follow-up report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Wednesday hammered it home. While the Bruins called it “unlucky” and said they were focused on McAvoy’s health and recovery, they are now down to their best defenseman as they fight for a playoff spot. The organization appears to be holding Team USA responsible for the length of time McAvoy will be out.
Friedman spoke with Justin Bourne and Nick Kypreos on Wednesday and shared that he’s hearing USA Hockey has become the scapegoat of the Bruins organization and general manager Don Sweeney. Friedman explained that no one is happy that McAvoy is out but added, “I think the people who are the angriest is the team, the Bruins.”
Bruins are Blaming Team USA For How They Handled McAvoy’s Injury
Friedman added, “If you read their statement today, they make it very clear that they are unhappy with how this all went down, that they don’t feel that their player was given the proper treatment.” From the sounds of things, McAvoy was originally injured in the opener against Finland. He continued to play even after it might have been clear something was wrong.
Friedman then said, “And it sounds like — I don’t know if he got a shot or something. I don’t know exactly what happened, but he played Saturday, it looks like, with much more severe an injury than he was initially led to believe…”
In other words, did Team USA know something was wrong with McAvoy, and they let him go out against Team Canada despite the understanding that it would have been better for him to sit? Friedman added, “So, from 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 then said the Bruins’ medical staff, not Team USA, discovered an infection that needed to be operated on and removed.
The Bruins Released a Statement and Have Campaigned for Independent Medical Staff Moving Forward
Friedman said his sources wondered why the Bruins released a statement on McAvoy’s condition and not Team USA. The answer seems to be that Sweeney and the Bruins wanted everyone to know Team USA dropped the ball here.
Friedman noted:
“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.”
Now, it also sounds like Sweeney has sent a clear message that the league should be looking at which medical personnel are assigned to work with international teams in tournaments like this. The fact that medical staff members from the Minnesota Wild were tasked with looking after a star player from the Boston Bruins isn’t the greatest optics.
As it stands, everyone on Team USA is available tonight for the 4 Nations Face-Off Final against Team Canada except Charlie McAvoy.
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