Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Dishes On Unique Family Connection On Team USA

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has a unique opportunity to enter the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off beginning Feb. 12 in Montreal.

The Boston blue liner will be coached by his father-in-law, Mike Sullivan. The pair will trade in their respective Black and Gold to represent Team USA in the tournament.

“I thought about that, really just how amazing it is,” McAvoy said, per NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin. “Me and my wife, with Rhys, we just brought a son into the world. His dad got to play for his grandpa. How incredible that is and just how rare.

“Really it’s something that none of us ever could have dreamed of. There’s no crystal ball that would have shown us that. It’s just amazing, and I know the pride that I’ve seen in my wife and just how proud she is of her dad and of me, and it’s just extremely special.”

McAvoy met Kiley Sullivan when they were enrolled at Boston University, and the pair married in 2023. However, having a personal relationship with Sullivan won’t prevent McAvoy from focusing on winning the tournament.

“Obviously, this is our job,” McAvoy said. “This is a life’s amount of work that he’s put in, both as a player and a coach, and then this is my life’s work as a player. All of that stuff, and the relationship we have and how unique and special that is, I think it only makes this cooler.

“But everything is about winning and the team and what we want to do. Because at the end of the day, we’re competitors, and it just so happens that our relationship is what it is, which is incredible, really.”

Knowing McAvoy away from the ice will certainly help Sullivan navigate a roster of NHL stars he’s coached against in his career.

“I think anytime you have an opportunity to build relationships with people, it helps,” Sullivan said, per Benjamin. “Because you know them on a deeper level. You know their character. You know what makes them tick. There’s certain barriers that you don’t have to break down from a trust standpoint that already exist. I think trust is such an important element with respect to a player/coach relationship, and that takes time.”

Fans shouldn’t expect Sullivan to treat McAvoy differently. The Pittsburgh Penguins coach has made it clear he is there to do his job.

“Obviously when we get to the tournament, it will be all business,” Sullivan said. “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.”

In addition to the tournament itself, the NHL and NHLPA will celebrate the event by taking over City Hall Plaza in Boston for three days for the  4 Nations Face-Off Fan Village.

The tournament kicks off with Canada vs. Sweden on Feb. 12 on TNT, and USA will play Finland on Feb. 13 on ESPN. Puck drop from Bell Centre in both games is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.