Boston Bruins

Bruins Players Getting High Praise From Peers at 4 Nations Face-Off

Published

1 month ago

February 16, 2025

charlie-mcavoy-boston-bruins-team-usa-4-nations-face-off

Photo courtesy of the Boston Bruins/@NHLBruins on 𝕏

BOSTON — Those who are around Brad Marchand on a daily basis are always quick to sing his praises. As the Boston Bruins captain represents Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off, those who don’t usually get to see the Boston Bruins captain up close are carrying a similar tune.

“I can’t say enough great things about him,” Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said on Sunday at TD Garden. “His energy and passion–he’s one of the elder statesmen on this team–and he seems to find the fountain of youth anytime he comes into one of these tournaments.”

The last time NHL players participated in international best-on-best competition was in 2016 during the World Cup of Hockey, where Marchand scored the winning goal for Canada with under a minute left in the third period in the championship game. Back on the world stage for the first time in nearly a decade, Marchand picked up where he left off, scoring for Canada in the opening game of the 4 Nations tournament.

That sound you hear? Fans in Montreal CHEERING a Brad Marchand goal 😅🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/XjMpzGya0b

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) February 13, 2025

Marchand was one of the first players selected to Team Canada’s roster last June. Through the tournament’s first two games, the leadership and veteran intangibles he regularly brings to the Bruins have been invaluable for the Canadians.

“He’s one of the guys everybody turns to when everything is kind of under fire,” said Cooper. “Even down the stretch of games, when we were tied against Sweden in overtime or down against the U.S., the loudest guy on the bench, pumping everybody up, was Brad Marchand. For somebody that’s been around as long as he has, he doesn’t have to do that, but his heart is the shape of a maple leaf.”

Team Canada is keeping their leadership close together in the locker room pic.twitter.com/bVHVCI8cxX

— Andrew Fantucchio (@A_Fantucchio) February 16, 2025

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has had a similar impact while playing for Team USA.

His thunderous hit on Connor McDavid in Saturday night’s must-see game between the USA and Canada was one of just a few highlights from what resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Americans.

CHARLIE MCAVOY JUST LEVELED MCDAVID 😱 pic.twitter.com/p6W98jINCu

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 16, 2025

But McAvoy’s contributions during the 4 Nations Face-Off haven’t been limited to just highlight moments, as he has a plus-one rating through two games, along with two shots on goal while averaging 19:36 of time on ice per night.

“Charlie’s a guy we’re relying on big time here,” Adam Fox said. “He’s a guy who can eat minutes, and he has those times where he can throw a nuclear hit like he did. It helps that you score a goal 20 seconds right after. Playing against these teams here, there’s so much skill, so much talent, you don’t want to give them a second of time and space, and if you’re able to lay a big hit like that, it makes everyone slow down a little and be a little more aware, especially when he’s on the ice.”

McAvoy and Fox have a long history together. They’re both from Long Island, NY and played together for the United States National Development Team. With McAvoy playing in Boston and Fox for the New York Rangers, the two defensemen have played on rival teams throughout their NHL careers but are happy to be wearing the same jersey once again.

“On the ice, you see what he does, but off the ice, he’s a great guy,” said Fox.”Obviously, he has a letter on his jersey for a reason. He’s so well-liked and just cares about his teammates and his friends. I’ve been playing against him for a long time now, so it’s definitely nice to have him on my side again.”

This is Jaccob Slavin’s first time having McAvoy as a teammate. The blue liner for the Carolina Hurricanes is one of the best that the NHL has to offer, and he feels that McAvoy is also a part of that company.

“He’s obviously an unbelievable defenseman, one of the best,” Slavin said. “For him to be able to do what he does and play that physical, solid game, but also controlled and skilled and make good plays with the puck against the best players in the world–and obviously being able to throw a hit like that on a guy with that speed–is unbelievable. His positioning and his hockey sense are just awesome and mak him such a solid player.”