Bruins offer first update on Charlie McAvoy injury
The Bruins gave us their first insights into the Charlie McAvoy injury.
Nov 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (1) checks on teammate Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) who got hit by a shot in the face during the second period of the game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The good news is that Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who exited the Saturday's win over the Canadiens after he took a puck to the jaw in the second period, was able to fly back home with his teammates.
The bad news, however, is that the Bruins remain a club without a clear update when it comes to the health of their No. 1 defenseman.
“He’s with the doctors right now, so there’s no timeline," Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said of McAvoy following Monday's morning skate at Brighton's Warrior Ice Arena. "Obviously, he’s gonna be out [Monday] and we’ll see how he goes today with all his appointments."
And the McAvoy injury was about as ugly as they come, really.
Not only did the shot make direct impact with McAvoy's chin/jaw, but a closer look at the replays also seemed to indicate that McAvoy lost at least one tooth on direct impact. McAvoy immediately collapsed down to the ice, with noticeable blood loss out of his mouth, before leaving the game.
It's presently unclear if McAvoy will need surgery.
"I’m not in charge, so we have to wait and see," Sturm said when asked about that option for McAvoy and the club.
With McAvoy down, the Bruins leaned on Hampus Lindholm for a season-high 27:19 of time on ice, while de facto top righty-shooting option Andrew Peeke played over 22 minutes for just the fifth time this season. The Bruins will continue lean on those guys, as well as Nikita Zadorov, on Monday night.
But McAvoy's absence will not require the Bruins to make a call to Providence just yet, as the club is on home ice and has Henri Jokiharju ready to step back into the lineup after sitting out Saturday's contest as a healthy scratch.
"It's going to take all of us," Sturm said of a McAvoy-less Boston defense. "That's all it is. I'm not gonna put it in [Jokiharju] or [Mason Lohrei]'s hands because Charlie's out. It's going to take all of us. Forwards gotta take care of our D [and] special teams we gotta be better, stay out of the box.
"We just have to find ways to go through stretches like that."
