Charlie McAvoy has seen the highlight reels, just like the rest of us.
The 26-year-old skater quickly recoiled at the thought of putting himself in the same rarified air as Boston’s two greatest blueliners in Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque.
But as McAvoy — like the other 19,000 in attendance for Sunday’s Centennial Game ceremony — watched clips of Orr glide across the frozen sheet and Bourque uncork howitzers from the point, the message was reinforced once again.
Be it Shore, Orr, Park, Bourque, or Chara — some of the greatest Bruins teams in the franchise’s 100-year history have been anchored by dominant, star defensemen.