Long Beach pride is shining as bright as gold thanks to hometown hero Charlie McAvoy and Team USA. The men’s hockey team captured the gold medal at the Winter Olympics last Sunday with a nail-biting win in overtime, defeating Team Canada 2-1.
It’s the first U.S. gold in men’s hockey since the “Miracle on Ice,” when the American team earned a hard-fought win over the Soviet Union on Feb 22, 1980 — 46 years ago to the day.
“Long Beach couldn’t be prouder of our hometown and American hero, Charlie McAvoy,” City Council Member Michael Reinhart said on behalf of his fellow council members. “From the Long Beach Ice Arena to the world stage — congratulations to Charlie and Team USA on a historic and emotional win that brings the gold home to the U.S. for the first time in 46 years and for the very first time to Long Beach!”
Assemblyman Ari Brown, who represents Long Beach and the surrounding areas, offered similar sentiments about McAvoy, who, like many Long Beach kids, honed his skating skills at the local rink. “From the Long Beach Ice Arena to Olympic gold,” Brown posted on Facebook. “Charlie McAvoy represents the very best of Long Beach and Long Island — hard work, discipline, and pride in our country. Long Beach — and all of Long Island — could not be more proud.”
McAvoy, a Long Beach native, began playing hockey for the city’s Apple Core hockey team at age 4. He attended Long Beach middle and high schools before moving to Michigan to take part in the U.S. National Team Development Program. After playing at Boston University, he was drafted by the Boston Bruins, and has played in the NHL since 2016.
The day before the gold medal matchup, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also shared his thoughts on McAvoy. “We are extremely proud,” Blakeman said. “He’s an amazing athlete. What could be better than a gold medalist in Nassau County? We’re going to be rooting really, really hard. I’ll be up early tomorrow morning, I’ll get my coffee and we’ll be rooting as hard as we can.”
After Matt Boldy scored early in the first period, giving Team USA a quick lead, Canada fought back in the second — at one point having a 5-on-3 power play for over 90 seconds after McAvoy was penalized for hooking. Canada was unable to score with the advantage, but tied the game shortly before the end of the period.
During a tense third period, McAvoy, a defenseman, played a key role in helping to avert several shots on goal. In one of the most crucial plays of the game, McAvoy stifled a Canadian attack by positioning himself behind goalie Connor Hellebuyck and blocking what could have been a game-ending shot. Overtime ended nearly as fast as it began, with Jack Hughes scoring the winning goal for Team USA in under two minutes.
John Kelly, of Long Beach, had insight on both Charlie McAvoys — junior and senior. “I played hockey with Charlie McAvoy’s father years ago down here in Long Beach,” Kelly said of Charlie Sr., who operates the family’s four-generation-old plumbing business. “I saw Charlie [Jr.] play at the Ice Arena. I went to Boston University and saw him play there a couple of times. But this is awesome.”
Many local restaurants and bars opened early to air the gold-medal game at 8:10 a.m. local time — 2:10 p.m. in Italy. At Billy’s Beach Café, on West Park Avenue, the crowd was packed around the bar, tables were filled, and it was standing-room-only as more than a dozen televisions broadcast the game.
“It’s been one of the best games, I think, that we’ve seen in a really long time,” Jennifer Pristera, a local hockey fan, said. “Especially being a Rangers town — it’s been a rough season. It’s so cool that everybody’s come together, no matter what. You’ve got Rangers fans, Boston, Islanders. Nobody cares. It’s so nice.”
The Long Beach community was eager to get behind their local Olympic athlete, and the overtime victory triggered ear-rattling chants of “USA! USA!”
“We got to experience this with all our friends and family here in Long Beach.” said resident Keith DeSantis. “Watching this unfold today was amazing.”
