Charlie McAvoy is the Bruins’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.
What McAvoy has been through over the past 14 months has been well documented.
In February 2025, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the 4 Nations tournament, an injury that would not only require corrective surgery but also cause a dangerous staph infection.
This season, he suffered a broken jaw from a slap shot on Nov. 15 in Montreal, which caused him to miss a month of action. In that time, he had to go on a liquid diet that caused him to lose 20 pounds.
But upon his return to action, McAvoy not only won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA – his blocked shot with an open net behind him helped the Americans force Canada into overtime – but he’s in the process of putting together his best season as a pro. That’s despite losing more teeth in a couple of other on-ice mishaps.
McAvoy’s primary assist on Pavel Zacha’s tying goal against Carolina on Tuesday helped the B’s earn an important point in the standings and it was also his 60th point of the season, the first time the 28-year-old McAvoy has reached that plateau. His 49 assists are a career high and his 11 goals are one short of his personal best.
Each team has a nominee for the Masterton Trophy, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the winner will be announced at a later date.