BOSTON — The United States didn’t have to sacrifice much when looking for a replacement for injured defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the 4 Nations Face-Off final: Reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes was ready to step in.
U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said Tuesday that Hughes was on his way to Boston to be available when the Americans play Canada in the championship game. Hughes has missed the Canucks’ last four games and was a last-minute scratch from the international tournament, which marks the return of the world’s best hockey players to the international stage after they missed the last two Winter Olympics.
Hughes, 25, was a first-round draft choice who joined the Canucks after two years at Michigan, where he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as a sophomore. He had career highs of 17 goals and 75 assists for Vancouver last season, when he was the runaway winner of the award that for the NHL’s top defenseman and finished seventh in voting for the Hart Trophy that goes to the league MVP.
According to the 4 Nations rules, the Americans can only add him to the roster if they drop below six “able-bodied” defenseman; that would mean one more U.S. defenseman would have to be ruled out. The rules allow them to apply for emergency relief on an “as needed” basis, an application that would be considered by tournament chairs Bill Daly and Rob Zepp.
“Right now, we’re just taking each day as it comes,” Sullivan said. “We’ll see what potential options might be available for us for the championship game and then we’ll make decisions accordingly from there.”
A 27-year-old Boston University product and top Bruins defenseman who has twice finished in the top five of the Norris Trophy voting, McAvoy had been a key contributor to the American team whose big hits on Canadian stars Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby were credited with setting a tone in the round robin matchup between the North Americans. Thursday’s championship will be at the TD Garden, the Bruins’ home ice.
The Bruins announced on Tuesday that he was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday night with an unspecified upper-body injury.
“He’s obviously disappointed that he won’t have the ability to participate in the championship game. This tournament means a lot to him,” said Sullivan, who is also McAvoy’s father-in-law. “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.”
