The Boston Bruins went local Friday night with their first selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, selecting Boston University defenseman Charlie McAvoy with the 14th overall pick.
McAvoy, 18, was the youngest player in college hockey this past season. He played in 37 games as a freshman with the Terriers, tallying three goals and 22 assists and earning Hockey East All-Rookie honors.
A 5-foot-11, 211-pound, right-shot D-man, McAvoy spent two seasons with the U.S. National Development Program before beginning his BU career, recording 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 57 games at the U-17 and U-18 levels.
“We’re very excited about Charlie,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in an interview with NBC Sports Network, via BostonBruins.com. “Obviously, we’ve seen him play a lot right in our backyard. Very excited to add him into the fold.
“(He’s) a multi-tool player (with) power-play acumen but also plays very hard and can log a lot of minutes. A powerful player, and I think we just realized the hockey sense — he sees the middle of the ice really well, the transitional part of his game. He can also defend with conviction.”
Interestingly, McAvoy’s defense partner at BU this past season was fellow Bruins draftee Matt Grzelcyk, who signed a two-year entry-level deal with Boston in April.
Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, who played behind a suspect B’s D-corps this past season, took to Twitter to congratulate McAvoy and express his approval of the selection.
The Bruins also own the 29th overall pick, which they acquired from the San Jose Sharks last summer in the trade for goalie Martin Jones.
Thumbnail photo via Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports Images
