By: Julia Simone | Follow me on Twitter / X @j_simone40
“When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates, and the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back.” Herb Brooks, coach of the “Miracle on Ice” 1980 USA hockey team, famously said this to his players. Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Team USA have adopted this mindset in the Four Nations Face-off tournament and are playing for pride in their country. Many players throughout the tournament have reflected on what this honor means to them and how, for some, these are the biggest games in their respective careers. Charlie McAvoy said, “That’s the dream…we missed a couple of opportunities with the Olympics and this is a new event, but I have dreamt of this…playing for USA, playing these best on bests, getting a chance to wear the jersey again…how much it means to me and this is it. I want to be a part of this for as many opportunities as I can.”
The team, along with the other nations in the tournament, has a tall task coming into this short best-on-best tournament and gelling together quickly. After Team USA’s emotional 3-1 win over Team Canada on Saturday night in Montreal, it is clear the squad is not playing for themselves, but for the team. Charlie McAvoy said, “None of this is about the individual…we’re all honored to be a part of this team. This is a very special group that we have. Whatever your role is…everybody’s gonna buy in and do it to the best of their ability.”
Unfortunately for the Bruins defenseman, he was ruled out of the lineup last night against Team Sweden with an upper-body injury. It was announced today that McAvoy was admitted to Mass General Hospital and will not play in the championship game against Team Canada on Thursday. Head Coach Mike Sullivan announced this morning that Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Quinn Hughes will join the team. However, Hughes is not allowed to play unless another Team USA defenseman is sidelined due to injury or illness. Hughes was initially named to Team USA’s roster but withdrew due to a previous oblique injury.
Last night, Team USA was defeated by Team Sweden 2-1. With USA’s win over Canada on Saturday night, they punched their ticket into the championship game. Team Canada clinched their spot in the championship when they defeated Team Finland 5-3 yesterday afternoon. Positioned at the top of the leaderboard, Team USA will have a home-ice advantage on Thursday night. After last night’s game, Chelmsford, Massachusetts native Jack Eichel talked about what the championship game means to him, “It means the world…you are representing your country…this is huge…this is the biggest game I’ve played in in quite some time, maybe ever, so I am really looking forward to it. I think everyone in the room is looking forward to it and that is what we wanted.”
During the National Anthem at TD Garden last night, the crowd joined Bruins’ anthem singer Todd Angilly in singing the Star-Spangled Banner. After the anthem, the crowd erupted into “USA…USA…USA” chants. It is clear Team USA is playing not only to win but for much more on Thursday night against Team Canada. All eyes will be on the two teams, as the biggest rivalry in hockey faces off. The puck drop is set for 8:00 PM EST.
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