Charlie McAvoy is Johnny Dunleavy’s Bruin.
And it’s safe to say Johnny Dunleavy is Charlie McAvoy’s favorite co-worker.
The pair recently collaborated to make a fashion statement in support of World Down Syndrome Day, which was March 21.
Dunleavy, who has Down syndrome, and McAvoy had a hand in designing mismatched socks, which is a symbol recognizing and celebrating the acceptance of differences.
Their friendship is an example of just that.
Dunleavy, a longtime Bruins employee, handed each of the players a pair of the socks as they boarded their charter to Detroit recently. The team wore the socks during their arrival to Little Caesars Arena before posting an electrifying 4-2 win.
McAvoy first remembered meeting Dunleavy at TD Garden early in the defenseman’s career, but it was at the team’s annual golf tournament where the two really bonded.
“He would come out and sink putts for us and just drive around in the golf cart and meet us on certain holes,” McAvoy said. “And early on I realized that I was his favorite player, and when he would see me how excited he would get, and what I think I meant to him as a Bruins player, which was just really cool to see. And then from there it was just super easy to build a friendship with him, and I’m just really happy for that friendship that we have.”
McAvoy said it’s no secret why the pair have grown so close.
“Johnny’s awesome. He helps coach the alumni team and he’s around the organization a lot,” he said. “So, I think that might be an indication of how easy it is for everyone to get attached to him. But from a personal level, like I always look forward to seeing him. I get excited when he comes to the rink and we get to spend time with him. He’s someone who just has such an infectious personality. He makes you feel better.
“Every time you see him, it’s very easy to get out of your head really and just enjoy the time you spend with him. His perspective is obviously very special, and he makes everybody around him feel just feel better.”
Because of that friendship, collaborating to support World Down Syndrome Day made perfect sense to McAvoy. The socks initiative is a joint effort between by the NHL, NHLPA, and For Bare Feet.
McAvoy’s mismatched socks were in tandem with Red Wings star (and US Olympic teammate) Dylan Larkin.
According to an NHL release, “McAvoy’s sock has a nature-inspired pattern that incorporates the “three arrows” symbol, which represents the three copies of the twenty-first chromosome in the Down syndrome community. Larkin’s sock has a line-based pattern that mixes Red Wings colors with blue and yellow, which are commonly associated with Down syndrome awareness and also Larkin’s alma mater [Michigan]."
McAvoy said the process was simple.
“Honestly, they came to me with the idea and asked me if I wanted to do it. I was like, absolutely. And it was just a really easy fit. Obviously with the relationship I have with Johnny and how important he is to the Bruins organization as a whole and what he’s meant to myself since I got here and met his mom. So, it just made a ton of sense.
“It was very easy. The process in which designing them really … the people in charge of the socks did a ton of that. So, it was very easy every step of the way and it was just really fun to be a part of.”
For those wishing to learn more or to purchase a pair of the mismatched socks, head to shop.nhl.com or forbarefeet.com.
Goaltender thoughts
With Jeremy Swayman shining bright again, making 31 stops in Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Wild at TD Garden, it seems logical that Joonas Korpisalo would get the nod for Sunday’s road matinee against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. However, coach Marco Sturm didn’t rule out going to back-to-back with Swayman. Korpisalo went 87-78-24 during an eight-year run with Columbus, which drafted him in the third round (62nd overall) in 2012 … After Columbus, the Bruins will host Dallas on Tuesday before starting their final multicity road trip of the season with stops in Sunrise, Fla. (Thursday), Tampa (Saturday), Philadelphia (April 5), and Raleigh, N.C. (April 7).
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.