McAvoy Named Assistant Captain of Team USA

BostonBruins.com - The 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship is still a few days away. But the tournament is already shaping up to be a special experience for Bruins defense prospect Charlie McAvoy.
The 14th overall pick in last June's NHL Entry Draft was named an assistant captain for Team USA on Monday, an honor that he was humbled to have bestowed upon him.

"Pretty exciting, for sure," McAvoy said by phone Tuesday afternoon, following practice at Team USA's selection camp in Buffalo. "I kind of had an idea that I would be looked to for more of a leadership role on this team. I didn't know to what extent.
"When you hear that you're going to have a letter and be one of the three main guys on the team that are in charge of leading the guys, that was something that was pretty special for me."
McAvoy joins team captain Luke Kunin and fellow alternate captain Colin White to form Team USA's leadership triumvirate.
"I couldn't be happier to have these three quality guys leading this locker room," Team USA coach Bob Motzko told USAHockey.com. "We've been saying it every day that there's a pulse with this group. We know Luke, Charlie and Colin are at the center of that through their style of play and their tremendous amount of heart.
"We're fortunate to have them leading this team."

McAvoy, however, does not expect to be altering any parts of his game now that he will be donning a letter.
"I don't really think it changes much," said McAvoy, who is also in the midst of his sophomore season at Boston University. "With or without a letter, I think I'm a very consistent guy within the locker room and among the group.
"I'll just go about my day and go about my business the same way I [usually] do."
This will be McAvoy's second World Juniors appearance. The Long Beach, N.Y., native suited up in all seven games for the United States at last year's tournament, earning a bronze medal. McAvoy was also part of the squad that won gold at the 2015 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship.
"I think it helps a lot, having that experience of being there before and knowing how to prepare and what to expect for this tournament," said the 6-foot-1, 185-pound blue liner.
"I think it helps me, personally, I can make sure I help out all the guys and tell them all the lessons that I learned from being there."

One player he has had the opportunity to impart some wisdom on is fellow Bruins defense prospect and 2016 draft pick Ryan Lindgren, who is at Team USA camp hoping to land a spot on his first World Juniors team.
"It's nice to have Lindy here," said McAvoy. "He's playing very well. It's great, the organization has not one but two guys in the running, and hopefully two guys on the final roster."
McAvoy is hoping to follow in the footsteps of a current Bruins blue liner. Boston rookie Brandon Carlo was a member of Team USA at the last two World Junior Championships and this year finds himself skating alongside Zdeno Chara on the Bruins' No. 1 defense pairing.
"I've seen the path that he's taken and kind of a lot like myself, playing in two World Juniors," said McAvoy. "Especially his second year around - my first year - he was a bigger part of the team, which I'm looking to be this year.
"Hopefully, if I can end up being in the same position he was this year, playing for the Bruins next season, that would be a pretty amazing couple of years, for sure."
But for now, McAvoy is focused on the present. The Boston University standout currently ranks second on the Terriers with 11 assists and is tied for fourth with 12 points.
"I think that I've tried to polish a lot of parts of my game and to take on more of a leadership role at BU, too," said McAvoy. "I think that I've done that and I think that, overall, things have been going very well.
"I'm looking to get into this tournament and take the momentum I have from school and play some great hockey. Hopefully, I come back with a gold medal and then worry about taking care of things in the second half at BU."

Team USA's selection camp shifts to Oshawa, Ontario, on Wednesday night for the Americans' first exhibition contest against Switzerland, followed by a second tune-up against the Czech Republic on Friday.
The United States' roster is expected to be finalized by Christmas Eve, ahead of the team's first tournament game on Dec. 26 against Latvia.
"I think I just expect our team to grow and get tighter as a group," said McAvoy. "I think that there might be some growing pains as we try to build chemistry and become a real tight group, but I think it's important to play these [exhibition] games and start getting on the same page."