BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy returned for the Boston Bruins against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
McAvoy had missed the previous 11 games after he was hit in the face with a puck in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 15, an incident that required facial surgery.
“Today felt good,” McAvoy said after the morning skate.
McAvoy has 14 assists in 19 games and leads Bruins defensemen in time on ice per game (23:46). He said that he has lost 20 pounds and has been limited to a liquid diet since the surgery, a diet that was supposed to last six weeks, and has been working on building up his conditioning.
“Definitely getting better,” McAvoy said. “(I’m) able to do more so you’re able to kind of work on your conditioning again, getting that part back. … The best way to get conditioning back is to just play in the game.”
The Bruins (18-13-0) went 6-5-0 without McAvoy.
“I only see half of it because most of the time, I’m in the coaches room but just to see him out there, his presence alone he brings on the ice and off the ice and in the locker room, it’s just a lot,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “I can see it, we can feel it. It’s nice to have him back and seeing that smile on his face. It’s been a while, it’s been a tough road for him. He’s our leader.”
