The Boston Bruins will be well represented at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Bruins defensive prospect Charlie McAvoy, the 14th overall selection in last June’s NHL Entry Level Draft, was named as an assistant captain for Team USA for the upcoming tournament.
In an interview with Eric Russo of BostonBruins.com, McAvoy expressed his comfort with this kind of leadership role.
“Pretty exciting, for sure,” McAvoy told Russo. “I kind of had an idea that I would be looked to for more of a leadership role on this team. I didn’t know to what extent. When you hear that you’re going to have a letter and be one of the three main guys on the team that is in charge of leading the guys, that was something that was pretty special for me.”
This will be McAvoy’s second go-around at the World Juniors, as he was a part of last year’s Team USA squad that won the bronze medal. In last year’s tournament, he was teammates with current Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, who has become somewhat of a role model for him.
“I’ve seen the path that he’s taken and kind of a lot like myself, playing in two World Juniors,” McAvoy said. “Especially his second year around – my first year – he was a bigger part of the team, which I’m looking to be this year. Hopefully, if I can end up being in the same position he was this year, playing for the Bruins next season, that would be a pretty amazing couple of years, for sure.”
McAvoy, who is in his sophomore season at Boston University, hopes to use this year’s World Juniors tournament as another building block for his career.
“I’m looking to get into this tournament and take the momentum I have from school and play some great hockey,” McAvoy said. “Hopefully, I come back with a gold medal and then worry about taking care of things in the second half at BU.”
Thumbnail photo via Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports Images
