The Boston Bruins will be without one of their best players at the start of next season.
Tuesday, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspended Charlie McAvoy for the first six regular-season games of the 2026-27 campaign after the Bruins defenseman tomahawk chopped Buffalo Sabres‘ forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of the teams’ first-round playoff series.
Per ESPN, the suspension was doled out a day after an in-person hearing was held between McAvoy and the NHL.
The play occurred with under 1:31 remaining in regulation. McAvoy was enraged by what he perceived as a purposeful slewfoot into the boards by Benson. So he got up and used his hockey stick like he was chopping firewood with an axe, slashing Benson hard on the arm. Benson, unhurt on the play, laughed at McAvoy from the penalty box as the irate rearguard received a game misconduct and a five-minute major penalty for slashing. Benson was also issued a two-minute minor penalty for tripping.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety made the announcement in a video published on the league’s website, explaining the play in vivid detail.
After the whistle, McAvoy gets to his feet and pursues Benson to deliver some retribution. He charges towards Benson, who is skating in the other direction, chokes up, raises his stick over his head with both hands, and swings his stick violently at Benson, striking him in the arm.
This is slashing.
All parties agree that this is an intentional and forceful strike delivered to an opponent’s body specifically for the purpose of retribution and message sending. In addition, all parties agree that this play occurs outside of gameplay and in a situation where the outcome of both the game and the series has been decided. Therefore, it is important to note that players are not excused from illegal acts just because of a prior foul by an opponent. And it is also important to note that McAvoy travels some distance to purposefully track down an opponent and seek retribution by using his stick as a weapon, with the knowledge that the play, game, and series are all over.
McAvoy’s prior history with DoPS appeared to play into the severity of the suspension. The rearguard was suspended four games in 2023 for an illegal check to the head of Oliver Edman-Larsson (Florida Panthers) and one game in 2019 for an illegal check to the head of Josh Anderson (Columbus Blue Jackets). He’s also been fined once during his nine seasons in the NHL.
McAvoy also has the right to appeal the severity of the suspension with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and a neutral arbitrator if he so chooses.
McAvoy’s ban is the longest in the NHL since Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was suspended 10 games for roughing Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle — though the ban was reduced to eight games after the ruling was appealed to Bettman.
