Is Charlie McAvoy playing against Canada at 4 Nations? USA handed major injury headache ahead of championship game

Team USA star Charlie McAvoy has been officially ruled out of Thursday night's 4 Nations final against Team Canada because of an upper-body injury.

The Boston Bruins defenseman did not play in Sunday night's 2-1 loss to Team Sweden due to rest. However, news came out later that McAvoy had been sent to a local hospital as he dealt with the upper body ailment.

We've now learned that it will hold him out of the rivalry rematch with Canada.

Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared the latest update with more details regarding his injury on X (formerly Twitter).

"Charlie McAvoy won't play in Thursday's 4 Nations Final, as he's undergoing testing for what's believed to be an infection related to an upper-body injury suffered during the event," Friedman wrote.

It's a major blow for Team USA who is also dealing with injuries to Matthew Tkachuk, and Auston Matthews, both of whom were held out of Sunday night's game due to injuries.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson stepped into the US lineup on Sunday night in McAvoy's absence and should play in the Finals on Thursday. The 22-year-old was pointless and recorded two shots on goal in his 17:08 of ice time.

Charlie McAvoy will be a huge loss for Team USA

It will be very difficult for the Americans to replace Charlie McAvoy. He was one of the first six players originally selected to the roster, demonstrating his importance to Team USA.

The 27-year-old has been a mainstay in the top four on defense for head coach Mike Sullivan. He played 19:45 and 19:27 respectively in the opening two games of the tournament and was a +1 rating.

McAvoy's physicality was particularly impactful in Saturday night's 3-1 over Team Canada. He delivered several crushing hits on superstar Connor McDavid, including one thunderous open-ice check that led to a Jake Guentzel goal just 27 seconds late. It changed the momentum of the game for the US and was a major reason they completed the comeback against their rivals.

Team USA will be without Charlie McAvoy for a rematch with Team Canada in the finals of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday night. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at TD Garden in Boston.