Boston Bruins coach Marco Sturm announced Wednesday that defenseman Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery and will be out of the lineup indefinitely.
McAvoy was struck in the face by a Noah Dobson slap shot in the second period of the Bruins’ 3-2 victory in Montreal on Saturday. The 2022 Second Team All-Star fell to the ice, bloodied and left the ice surface with assistance from Bruins medical personnel.
He did not return and sat out Boston’s 3-1 home loss vs. Carolina on Monday.
“He’s doing good. He’s recovering right now at home, and we still don’t know how long he’s going to be out for,” Sturm said Wednesday prior to their game in Anaheim. “Other guys have to step up, I think that’s the bottom line. It can’t be (Nikita) Zadorov and (Hampus) Lindholm.”
The nine-year Bruins veteran is second on the club with 14 assists in 2025. He leads the team in ice time at 23:46 per game.
The Long Beach, N.Y. native has scored 60 goals, added 254 assists and is a plus-142 in 523 career games for the Bruins.
Forwards Elias Lindholm, Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittelstadt – all with lower-body injuries – are on the shelf for Boston, along with defenseman Jordan Harris (ankle surgery).
“Every team goes through it and unfortunately it’s us right now,” Sturm said. “When you talk to players, they always want ice time, they always want playing time, they hate to be scratched, and this and this and that. Well, this is their opportunity.”
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