Charlie McAvoy gets paired with Minnesota Wild's Quinn Hughes as Boston Bruins players join their respective Olympic teams

Boston Bruins players have taken up their positions with their respective Olympic teams as the tournament approaches its Wednesday start. The contingent spans six nations, and the past 48 hours brought both line combinations and leadership announcements that defined where each player will fit.

Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak received the biggest honors when they were named alternate captains for Team USA and Czechia, respectively. The recognition reflects their status as leaders both in Boston and on the international stage.

Charlie McAvoy and Quinn Hughes remain Team USA’s top defensive pairing

But the most intriguing development came when practice lines revealed McAvoy paired with Minnesota's Quinn Hughes on what projects as the top defensive duo for the United States. The combination gives the USA arguably the best pairing in the entire tournament, blending McAvoy's two-way reliability with Hughes' elite offensive instincts and skating ability.

Hughes was acquired by Minnesota from Vancouver in December and has been spectacular since the trade, posting 34 points in 26 games while averaging over 28 minutes per night. Pairing him with McAvoy creates a dynamic that should terrify opposing forwards.

Jeremy Swayman represents Boston's other American player at the Olympics. The goaltender split the backup net with Jake Oettinger during Sunday's practice, while Connor Hellebuyck occupied his own net in a clear indication he will start Game 1 against Latvia on Wednesday.

Swayman provides elite depth behind Hellebuyck and gives coach Mike Sullivan confidence regardless of who plays. The United States opens Group C competition against Latvia at 3:10 PM Eastern on February 12.

For Finland, Henri Jokiharju slots into a second-pairing role alongside Olli Määttä. Joonas Korpisalo serves as the third-string goaltender behind Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen after being added late following an injury to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Sweden has not released concrete line combinations, but Elias Lindholm is expected to play somewhere in the top six forwards. His brother Hampus may begin as the seventh defenseman after being added to the roster late.

Pastrnak takes his place on Czechia's top line alongside Tomas Hertl and Martin Necas. Former Bruin Ondrej Kase sits on the second line, while Pavel Zacha was ruled out with injury in a significant blow to Czech medal hopes.

Finally, Bruins prospect Dans Locmelis will play a key role for Latvia, likely featuring somewhere in the top nine forwards as the underdogs attempt to pull off upsets in Group C.

The tournament begins on Wednesday with multiple games before ramping up throughout the week. Boston's Olympic representatives will compete for gold through the medal game on February 22, giving Bruins fans plenty of reasons to watch beyond their own team's playoff push.


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