Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is likely one of the foundational gamers for the Boston Bruins, who’ve proven how sturdy their basis is that this season. After setting regular-season data for wins and factors in 2022-23, the Bruins have overcome some offseason adversity to problem for the league lead in factors once more.
McAvoy joined ESPN’s “The Drop” podcast this week to speak in regards to the Bruins, probably enjoying for Group USA within the upcoming 4 Nations event and chasing gold on the Olympics, his Tremendous Bowl choose for this Sunday and his historical past with soccer as a die-hard New York Giants fan. Get pleasure from!
Word: The interview has been calmly edited for readability.
Q. The Bruins have been among the finest tales of the season up to now: Urgent for the President’s Trophy once more after dropping some key gamers and struggling that devastating loss within the playoffs within the first spherical. Has this season been a shock for you in any respect? Or have been you assured that the Bruins nonetheless had this sort of season in them?
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McAvoy: I used to be undoubtedly shocked. I will say it. I will not disguise it. We misplaced a whole lot of guys. Perhaps it was the surface noise, however I feel I embraced an underdog position this yr. I feel our workforce did as nicely. As we began stringing collectively our id and profitable increasingly more hockey video games, I used to be form of like, how are we doing this? After which it kind of clicked. Like, okay, this is not luck. We’re a extremely good hockey workforce once more.
Are we constructed like final yr? No, in no way. We’re extra of a “put it in deep” workforce now vs. line rush. We’re extra of a “put on you out behind the online” than biking, making ability performs excessive. We’re doing it a very totally different manner this yr.
However the goalie stayed the identical. The protection stayed the identical. We have new guys up entrance, however these two pillars have been there. There was familiarity with our construction. So it labored out rather well.
Q. You are a USA hockey man. Huge worldwide hockey information on the NHL All-Star Recreation. Let’s begin with the 4 Nations Face-Off subsequent season, with the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. What are your ideas on that event?
McAvoy: I believed it was actually cool. Simply actually excited on the prospect of enjoying hockey for Group USA once more. These have been a few of the finest reminiscences I’ve had in hockey, and it is all the time an honor. I’ve had the dream of being an Olympian for the reason that first time I ever watched it. In 2010, after they virtually gained the gold medal, I keep in mind sitting on the sofa watching that with my household and the way particular that event was. You internalize that and you are like, “That is the place I wanna be.”
We thought we had it final go round [at the Olympics in 2022]. That was equally as thrilling after which form of equally as disappointing when it acquired pulled. Hopefully there isn’t any unexpected stuff that might throw a wrench on this. Hopefully so long as I do every thing I can, I will be capable of play on that workforce.
Q. Folks do not perceive how shut it got here with Beijing. You instructed me you needed to submit your measurements in your Ralph Lauren opening ceremonies or closing ceremonies gear, proper?
McAvoy: We had gone so far as having a protracted listing [of players]. We acquired on a Zoom name with the teaching workers and the final supervisor. So you’ve all these guys which are within the participant pool with the prospect of creating the workforce. We gave residence addresses to allow them to come and drug take a look at you — and take your measurements for ceremonies.
We made all of it the best way into the season, into the winter time. We have been getting form of near February, after which I feel they known as it when all these [COVID] outbreaks occurred. It was simply cool since you’re doing all these items, and also you’re getting enthusiastic about it. But it surely’ll be equally as thrilling this time round if we get to do it. I hope we are able to.
So far as the 4 Nations, you’ve Boston and Montreal, two of the most effective cities within the league. If I get to play, that little little bit of residence ice for me can be superior.
I do know it is solely 4 groups. [David Pastrnak] was form of upset as a result of the Czechs have an excellent hockey nation. However as I understood, it was kind of simply what they put collectively in a short while. It will be a primary step towards World Cup of Hockey once more, the place all people will be capable of play.
Q. All proper, this is your likelihood: Please inform myself and the remainder of the Individuals that we’re lastly going to beat Canada and win gold in certainly one of these tournaments.
McAvoy: I am not gonna throw that on the bulletin board proper now. [Laughs] However I’ve had these conversations lately with the participant pool and with the expertise that USA Hockey has. You go searching and there is stars everywhere in the league which are American, at each single place. So I feel that form of adjustments now. I feel as an alternative of being like, “I ponder how far they may go,” it seems like, “Hey, , why not us, to go over there and make some actual noise?”
Q. Charlie, you have been our NFL playoff prognosticator on ESPN’s hockey podcast The Drop, going 7-5 this postseason.
McAvoy: Oh, we’re plus cash. [Laughs] I like soccer. Soccer was all the time my favourite sport apart from hockey. I performed it for so long as I might. I like watching school soccer. I like that the NFL coincides with our season. I do not suppose there’s any higher time within the yr than that. Late August, September whenever you’re preparing for soccer, hockey season.
Q. While you say you performed it, did you play in class rising up?
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McAvoy: I performed Pop Warner, after which I performed up till seventh grade. So once I needed to exit for the center college workforce, that was form of when it was simply an excessive amount of. We had video games each weekend for hockey all by means of the autumn. So that you’re lacking these video games anyway and apply would not coincide with it both. I performed lacrosse the longest, truthfully.
Q. Was there ever a degree within the multiverse the place you could possibly have been [Giants tight end] Mark Bavaro? Like, you have been all the time going to be higher at hockey, proper?
McAvoy: I might think about I might have by no means been Mark Bavaro. [Laughs] I used to be large as a child and performed like a operating again and linebacker. I really went to a Giants sport with my dad, and I purchased him a Mark Bavaro jersey. However I want I might have performed longer since you by no means know. I gave up on it too early, however I do not suppose that I might’ve … I do not know if I had the intangibles to be a soccer participant.
Q. Okay, do not preserve the folks ready, Charlie: What’s your Tremendous Bowl 58 choose?
McAvoy: I do not perceive how you could possibly go towards [Patrick] Mahomes on this state of affairs. I actually do not perceive how they’re underdogs to be trustworthy. He is simply been there too many instances. The report is the report. I feel I picked them to lose within the divisional spherical, after which I discover out the man is 7-0 within the divisional spherical, and also you’re similar to “he is a shoo-in for the convention championship each single yr.” So now I am simply gonna let the numbers work for me. I feel it is actually laborious to go towards the Chiefs right here, and their protection might be the most effective they’ve had — even higher than final yr.
I seemed on the Niners. They tried each strategy to lose their playoff video games, and so they one way or the other acquired by means of. That is clearly a superb take a look at. Perhaps now they flip the swap, and now they’re simply gonna run Kansas Metropolis out. However I do not know. You are gonna have to point out it to me. The Chiefs needed to go the laborious manner. So that they went into Baltimore, they went into Buffalo, and so they gained each these video games. You are gonna have to provide me Mahomes on Tremendous Bowl Sunday.
Q. Lastly, what do you concentrate on the entire Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce factor?
McAvoy: I feel it is fairly cool. We have been joking about it the opposite day as a result of my spouse loves Taylor Swift, and I am not ashamed to say that I hearken to Taylor Swift, too. She’s an icon. However I used to be saying like, man, she could not have dated a hockey participant? [Laughs] Somebody mentioned the income she’s delivered to the NFL is unimaginable, and he or she’s helped her personal model alongside the best way. However I used to be like, man, we could not have gotten, like Jack Hughes or any person to slip into her DMs?
