Missing teeth and all, Charlie McAvoy proved he can deliver a big bite in crunch time during Tuesday’s Boston Bruins game against the Los Angeles Kings.
McAvoy left in the second period of the game at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., after he was crushed into the glass by Los Angeles forward Samuel Helenius. He lost more teeth in the game, adding to the ones he’d already lost in previous outings.
But that did not stop McAvoy from coming back to the ice at the start of the third frame. The 28-year-old defenseman even scored the game-winning goal just 39 seconds into overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 victory. It was the perfect payback for McAvoy, whose dentist has some work to do.
CMAC ON THE MONEY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ByNwyNfKs6
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 11, 2026
After the game, a bloody-mouthed McAvoy talked to reporters and bemoaned the punishment he’d taken thus far in the 2025–26 season.
“You know, I wish the hits would stop coming,” McAvoy said, via Bridgette Proulx of Hockey East. “Honestly, just it’s tiring. My mouth honestly can’t even feel worse, but I’ll get some work. We got a really good dentist here who’s great.”
McAvoy is missing more teeth and says the injuries piling up is getting exhausting:
— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) March 11, 2026
"You guys get 2 questions, I have to go get more dental work done."
"You know, I wish the hits would stop coming. Honestly, just it's tiring. My mouth honestly can't even feel worse, but I'll… pic.twitter.com/q0f3fCtudV
It can be recalled that McAvoy missed nearly a month after he was hit by a puck in the mouth in November. Last week, he took a puck to the face during a game against the Nashville Predators.
Hockey is a brutal sport, and McAvoy can definitely attest to that.
Nevertheless, he’d likely sacrifice more teeth if that meant winning the Stanley Cup.
