Charlie McAvoy will play for his fifth team this year the next time he takes the ice.
The Boston Bruins rookie defenseman was added to the roster for the 2017 U.S. Men’s National Team on Wednesday.
McAvoy and Blackhawks blueliner Trevor van Riemsdyk were added to the team just one day after Chicago’s Patrick Kane and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews were ruled out of the competition, according to NBC Sports.
McAvoy showed great promise during the Bruins’ playoff series loss to the Ottawa Senators. Only Zdeno Chara’s average ice time (28:46) topped the 19-year-old rookie’s time of 26:12.
He made his NHL debut during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs and dazzled during the series against the Senators. McAvoy showed great ability to move the puck and skate out of trouble. The pairing of McAvoy and Chara was one of the bright spots for the B’s during the postseason, as Boston’s offense was much improved when the pair was driving puck possession.
McAvoy began his year playing for the Boston University Terriers in the fall and won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championships in January. After the Terriers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins’ first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft made a brief stop with the Providence Bruins before getting the call to the NHL.
Next up, McAvoy will look to sharpen his already impressive skills against NHL-caliber competition in the Men’s World Championships in Paris and Cologne, Germany.
The tournament will begin May 5.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
