Charlie McAvoy is moving past the aftermath of the hit he received from Sandis Vilmanis during the Bruins’ final game before the Olympic break. In his Olympic diary for The Athletic, McAvoy reflected on the incident, mentioning that Vilmanis did apologize after the USA-Latvia match. While McAvoy didn’t disclose specifics of their conversation, he expressed appreciation for the apology.
During the game leading up to the Olympics, McAvoy took a high elbow to the jaw from Vilmanis, which left him needing assistance off the ice. Despite suffering a broken jaw in November and wearing a protective facial mask, McAvoy managed to return to the ice to finish the game. The hit resulted in only a minor penalty for Vilmanis, who faced no additional disciplinary action from the Department of Player Safety.
After the incident, McAvoy made a statement on social media, sharing a video of the hit and a photo of his swollen face, subtly calling attention to the need for stricter safety measures regarding player hits.
The two players faced off again during the USA-Latvia clash, which ended in a decisive 5-1 victory for the Americans. This matchup offered both players a chance to move forward from the incident and focus on their performances on the international stage.