A skinnier Charlie McAvoy is back at Bruins practice this week.
The defenseman took a slapshot to the face on Nov. 15 in Montreal and fractured his jaw. He’s still a ways away from getting back to game action, but his return to practice in a non-contact jersey has been a positive step.
After Friday’s session, McAvoy told reporters he’d lost almost 20 pounds because he couldn’t eat solid foods.
“That’s the toughest part, is just trying to get what you need without being able to eat solid food,” McAvoy said. “I lost a lot of weight, but working my way back now.”
McAvoy said he tried to blend chicken and vegetables, but that yielded terrible results. So he stuck to naturally liquid foods like soup, ice cream, and milk shakes. He’s still acclimating to getting back to hockey, and said he feels a bit weaker because of the weight loss.
The moment the puck hit him in Montreal, McAvoy had a feeling it’d be a serious issue.
“I knew right away I was in some trouble,” McAvoy said. “Lost a lot of teeth on my bottom but I’ll save you the visual. You can just take my word for it.”
While the Bruins are happy to have the assistant captain back at practice, Marco Sturm said they’re going to give him all the time he needs. McAvoy is listed at 211 pounds, so losing close to 20 has been noticeable.
“I can tell on the ice he definitely — he looks like a skinny guy out there,” Sturm said. “Maybe it’s because of his mask, but that’s why we have to be patient with him. We do not want to rush him to come back. We just want to make sure he’s 100% mentally, physically. His weight has got to be at the right spot, because otherwise it will be not fair to him.”
After three weeks without him, the Bruins are just thrilled to have McAvoy back skating with them.
“I can’t say it enough: He’s such a big leader for our time on and off the ice,” Sturm said. “We miss him every day. Just to have him around again, it puts a smile on (everyone’s) face — including us coaches.”