Fate can turn in the blink of an eye. Ask Charlie McAvoy, the 27-year-old Bruins’ defenseman and alternate captain. McAvoy was dubbed to play a key role for the United States in the Four Nations Faceoff earlier this year. However, he suffered an untimely AC joint injury that ruled him out of the tournament midway. To make matters worse, he further suffered an infection in his shoulder, resulting in a horrible time for him on the hospital bed.

McAvoy was admitted to the Mass. General Hospital as the infection became severe. Subsequently, he received antibiotics and even had to undergo an irrigation and debridement procedure. Apart from missing a major part of the Four Nations Faceoff, he was also sidelined for a crucial part of the Bruins’ season. Recently, he broke his silence on his time spent at the hospital.

During an interview, Charlie McAvoy revealed, “It wasn’t good. It was bad. It was when I got home that things sort of hit the fan on [that] Monday and that landed me in the hospital and things moved pretty fast after that. The infection was moving pretty fast after that and it got very serious, very quick. Another thing that I’m just trying to leave in the past, really.”

Further, he went on to add, “It was scary; it was scary on me, scary on my family, mostly. I just could not be more grateful for all the people at MGH and all the people that took such amazing care for me at a time when we really needed it.”

McAvoy’s absence has significantly affected the Bruins of late. They have lost seven games in a row and are placed second-last in the Atlantic Division. With just nine games left in the season, the Bruins face a tough challenge in the playoffs race, with the absence of McAvoy hurting them big time. While he has been sidelined due to an injury, the Bruins also lost some key figures in the trade window. Recently, McAvoy also reflected on the Bruins’ core team getting a makeover.

Charlie McAvoy can’t stand the trade deadline day

On the trade deadline day, the Bruins’ management made some big moves, which came as a surprise to many in the NHL world, including McAvoy. Five of the regular team members, Marchand, Coyle, Carlo, Trent Frederic, and Justin Brazeau, all made the switch to other teams as the Bruins opted for a makeover after a disappointing season. However, McAvoy lost some of his good friends in the process and expressed disappointment in this matter.

Charlie McAvoy revealed, “It was not fun. It was a really tough day on a lot of different fronts… there’s another aspect to this game that has nothing to do with on the ice and that’s the friendships of it and the relationships, and the reality of it is I’ve been here for a while now and a lot of my friends are no longer here.”

Nonetheless, McAvoy has taken the responsibility on his shoulders, along with David Pastrnak, to lead the Bruins’ rebuild next season. Can the team come back strongly after a string of poor performances? Let us know your views in the comments below.