It’s never easy to see your comrades fighting tooth and nail while you have to sit on the sideline. But for Charlie McAvoy, it seems to be a greater cause that’s urging him to show up nonetheless. The Bruins defenseman’s upper-body injury had ruled him out of the 4 Nations championship game between the USA and Canada, but that doesn’t seem enough to keep him away from witnessing the action himself.

The Boston star posted an Instagram story just hours ago on February 20. Captioned, “Free as a bird,” McAvoy’s post shows him in a car and on the road as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic tune plays in the car’s stereo. With the USA flag followed by the saluting emoji, McAvoy made it clear even though he cannot be on the ice, he will still be rooting for his nation and his teammates as they head into their biggest match in years.

Considering the fact that NHL.com’s Dan Rosen had also stated that Charlie would be at the TD Garden despite his condition, one would easily come to think the hockey star was en route to the venue to provide his teammates with some morale for the 4 Nations finale. “He obviously can’t play because of his upper-body injury, but he is expected to be in attendance,” Rosen’s X post also claims McAvoy will be cheering for Team USA despite his physical condition.

McAvoy sustained an injury during the team’s first clash against Finland in the opening match against Finland last Thursday in Montreal. When he returned to Boston for the second portion of the round-robin, Charlie noted that the pain hadn’t subsided, and instead had increased. “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,” Team USA’s medical staff stated yesterday.

Not having McAvoy among its ranks would be a significant blow for the American squad ahead of the 4 Nations championship match. For obvious reasons, hockey fans were distressed about how his absence could affect the team’s performance against the tournament’s beefiest roster. However, remembering how things still played out in the USA’s favor when they faced off against Canada last Saturday, one should calm themselves knowing that the host nation is in good hands under Mike Sullivan’s coaching, who also coincidentally is Charlie’s father-in-law. And yet, the Boston star’s sadness would be understandable.

For Charlie McAvoy, the 4 Nations was expected to be a landmark tournament

The 27-year-old was named co-captain of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off, an honor that every hockey star from the country wishes to be bestowed with. On top of that, Charlie and his wife welcomed their newborn son Rhys on January 26, a seminal moment in their lives indeed. Naturally, McAvoy was over the moon with all the changes in his personal and professional life.

“Everything around this tournament has brought on a lot of emotions just because I take so much pride in it…Me and my wife, with Rhys, we just brought a son into the world. His dad got to play for his grandpa. How incredible that is and just how rare,” Charlie McAvoy was quoted saying in a Bruins article on February 5. But it seems like fate had different plans.

McAvoy was also one of the pivotal players last Saturday who helped Team USA secure the win over Canada at Bel Centre. Charlie’s thundering hit on the Canadian captain Connor McDavid ultimately led to Jake Guentzel scoring and tying things on the scoreboard. Naturally, he was also expected to undertake his defensive duties tonight as well. But that wasn’t to be. But let’s focus on the good things, shall we? Tell us in a comment how you will be cheering for Team USA along with Charlie McAvoy!