McAvoy out for U.S. vs. Canada in 4 Nations final, Quinn Hughes 'coming' to Boston

BOSTON -- The words sent a ripple through the press conference room at TD Garden.

While Mike Sullivan discussed the loss of Charlie McAvoy, his alternate captain, son-in-law and impact defenseman, the coach of the United States was asked whether an extra defenseman might be on his way to Boston ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off championship against Canada (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+, SN, TVAS) on Thursday.

“Quinn Hughes is coming,” Sullivan said.

The Vancouver Canucks defenseman was on the original roster for the United States, named as one of the initial six players for the U.S. with McAvoy, but had to pull out of the tournament Feb. 9 with an undisclosed injury.

But with the news, now, that McAvoy will be unavailable to the U.S. for the final game, Sullivan revealed that Hughes was going to come to Boston. Hughes, however, was still in Vancouver on Tuesday, practicing in a red noncontact jersey.

Hughes would only be able to join the roster should the team drop below six healthy defensemen; Thomas Harley was added to Canada's roster Saturday after Shea Theodore was ruled out because of injury and Cale Makar was out because of illness.

Until that point, Hughes cannot practice with the team. Sullivan said they would take it a day at a time and see what “potential options might be available for us for the championship game and then we’ll make decisions accordingly from there.”

Hughes, the captain of the Canucks and brother of U.S. forward Jack Hughes, has not played since Jan. 31. He has 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists) in 47 games for the Canucks this season after an NHL career-high 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists) in 82 games last season, winning the Norris Trophy voted as the best defenseman in the NHL.

Even if Hughes can be added for the game Thursday, McAvoy remains a tremendous loss for the U.S. It was his hit on Connor McDavid on Saturday that, in addition to the three fights in the first nine seconds of the game, reverberated through the game and helped set the tone for a 3-1 win.

McAvoy, who plays for the Boston Bruins, was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday where he had testing related to an upper-body injury sustained during the tournament; he is being evaluated by the Bruins head team physician, Peter Asnis.

On Wednesday, Asnis issued an update, saying McAvoy was being treated for an infection in his right shoulder, along with a significant injury to the defenseman's AC joint. After an irrigation and debridement procedure on Tuesday, McAvoy remains hospitalized, and Asnis said his condition is improving.

When asked about the lag between the game Saturday and McAvoy’s admission to the hospital, Sullivan pushed back.

“You’re making an assumption about when the injury occurred,” Sullivan said, which could indicate that McAvoy was injured in the U.S.’s first game against Finland on Thursday. “All I will tell you is that he has been admitted to the hospital, he’s in very good care and when the timing is right, I’m sure the Bruins will handle it appropriately.”

McAvoy, Sullivan said, was disappointed to miss the chance to play for a championship with the U.S. in his home arena.

“This tournament means a lot to him,” Sullivan said. “He’s a very competitive guy. There’s a personal note with respect to my relationship with him and I’m disappointed for him because first and foremost he’s a great kid and he’s a terrific hockey player and I know this meant a lot to him.”

McAvoy played 19:45 against Finland, the third highest total among defenseman behind Zach Werenski (21:45) and Jaccob Slavin (20:55). On Saturday against Canada, McAvoy played 19:27.

“His character, the way he is in the room, his leadership,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said, of what the team would miss with McAvoy out. “Just such a phenomenal teammate and obviously a great hockey player. The physicality he brings to the team and how hard he plays every shift, that’s contagious for any group he’s a part of.”

McAvoy missed seven games this regular season for the Bruins between Jan. 11-30 with an upper-body injury. He returned for five games before the start of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The defenseman has 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 50 games this season.

He plays a physical style that was on display against Canada, something that will be missed Thursday.

“He doesn’t make it easy on other teams and other top players,” said Hanifin, who has played with McAvoy since they were kids. “And a guy like McDavid or (Nathan) MacKinnon, the talent that they have on that team, it’s important to have guys like Charlie in your lineup, just how hard he competes every shift. He doesn’t make it easy on the other team.

“It’s something we’re definitely going to miss and I think everybody else just has to step up because we’re losing a huge piece.”