Imagine rocking that Team USA jersey, knowing your family’s got your back—not just from the stands, but right there on the ice. Of course, Charlie McAvoy’s wife, Kiley, and their little boy, Rhys, will be cheering him on, but there is another familiar face in the mix. But he won’t be waving from the seats—he’ll be right there on the bench, calling the shots. Yep, McAvoy’s father-in-law, the head coach of the Team USA, Mike Sullivan, is now taking up a whole new position: coaching his son-in-law and the team at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

For McAvoy, this tournament has ample meaning, but now being a father has given him new emotions, perspective and the motivation to go out and win everything. However, Mike Sullivan is stepping into some new territory at the 4 Nations Face-Off—not just as Team USA’s head coach, but also as Charlie McAvoy’s father-in-law. And yeah, he’s definitely thought about what it’ll be like coaching his own family member. “I’ve thought about it a little bit, I’m not going to lie,” Sullivan admitted to NHL.com on February 5.

Sullivan couldn’t help but reflect on what a rare and unforgettable experience this is, calling it “an incredible opportunity… for all of us as a family.” Coaching a player as talented and tenacious as McAvoy is one thing, but having that personal connection makes it all the more meaningful. “He’s a great kid, first and foremost. He’s a fierce competitor,” Sullivan shared, knowing that years from now, they’ll both look back on this with “a whole lot of gratitude” for the chance to share this chapter of their hockey journey together.

Of course, family ties aside, the mission is clear—winning. “Obviously when we get to the tournament, it will be all business,” Sullivan emphasized. “We’re going to go about it the way we always go about our jobs. He’s going to compete on the ice. I’m going to coach the team to the best of my ability. But to have the opportunity to coach my son-in-law in an event like this, someday I think we’ll look back on it and smile with just having the opportunity to work together like that.” So while the tournament is all about strategy and competition, there’s no doubt this will be a special chapter for the Sullivan-McAvoy crew!

It’s the first time in his professional career that Charlie McAvoy will play for his father-in-law, whom he knows since his college years at Boston University when he met Kiley. Funny how life comes full circle—Sullivan once wore the BU jersey himself before playing 11 seasons in the NHL, including a season with the Bruins before he became their coach. However, despite their love for the sport, the two hardly discuss hockey matters in the time that they spend together.

Sullivan has always been careful not to interfere with what McAvoy is doing with the Bruins, not overstepping boundaries. But now? Now, he gets the green light to fully step into that coaching role, and you better believe that’s gonna mean something. With all these big moments happening, how’s McAvoy juggling this new dad life?

Charlie McAvoy embraces fatherhood!

McAvoy and his wife, Kiley, embraced parenthood with the birth of a baby boy, Rhys Michael McAvoy, on January 26. And ever since, Charlie has been skating like a man on a mission and has been mastering the game power. For the second consecutive game, he scored a goal in the back of the net, this time against the Wild, after a beautiful pass from David Pastrnak.

In the game before that, he had no confusion in scoring a power-play one-timer goal against Rangers. Regardless of being a blue-liner, he has just at the right place at the right time and making the most of it with skill, hard work, and perhaps even that new father energy. And McAvoy is soaking it all in. From late night feeds that keep him up till morning to all the winning in the locker room, life can hardly get any better now for him. “Dad strength, as they say,” he admitted with a grin.

Describing the surreal joy of it all in McAvoy’s words, “It’s been an amazing week and a couple days for me. Life is awesome right now. I’m just through the moon with me and Kiley and the baby. It’s nice to have some wins on top of it.” Safe to say, fatherhood suits Charlie McAvoy—and so does finding the back of the net.