Star defenseman Charlie McAvoy has returned to Boston Bruins practice amid his recovery from a fractured jaw that he suffered on Nov. 15 against the Montreal Canadiens after being struck in the face by a slap shot.
McAvoy has missed the last nine games since the injury and remains without a timeline for return to action but spent Friday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena discussing the horrifying events of three weeks ago.
“I knew we were in trouble there,” McAvoy said of the incident. “I’d never taken one before, but you don’t take a slap shot to the jaw — I knew right away I was in some trouble.
The team’s alternate captain has been skating while wearing a red, non-contact sweater and detailed his stunning 20-pound weight loss amid a liquid-only diet. McAvoy said the drop in weight came in the first week and a half after the injury.
“It’s tough. I tried to give it a go. If you’re blending up solid food — it’s not enjoyable. … I tried chicken and vegetables and, like, that was just a non-starter,” McAvoy said. “I tried. It’s terrible. So soups have really been my go-to and smoothies to try and get protein, because food that’s blended up? It’s not meant to be eaten that way.”
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According to a report by Boston.com sports writer Conor Ryan, McAvoy won’t be cleared to eat solid foods until he’s six weeks removed from the injury.
The 2016 first-round pick had played in 19 of Boston’s first 20 games prior to the injury, posting no goals and 14 assists.
McAvoy’s 14 helpers still rank second on the team behind only David Pastrnak.
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