The NHL's Department of Player Safety has handed down a significant suspension that will have ripple effects into the 2026-27 season. Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for the first six games of next season following a dangerous slash on Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during their playoff series.
The incident occurred in the final minutes of Game 5 on May 1, as the Sabres were closing out their series victory over the Bruins. It all started when Benson tripped McAvoy with a slew foot, drawing a two-minute penalty. But McAvoy, clearly frustrated, got to his feet and retaliated with a violent baseball-style swing of his stick at Benson. The play earned McAvoy a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
Because McAvoy was offered an in-person hearing, the league had the flexibility to hand down a suspension of six games or more—and they opted for the full six. This isn't McAvoy's first trip to the disciplinary office. He was suspended for one playoff game in 2019 for an illegal check to the head, and again for four games in 2023 for the same offense.
It's a tough blow for a player who had a remarkable season overall. McAvoy was a key part of Team USA's gold medal run at the Milan Olympics this year. That achievement was even more impressive considering he had to battle back from a serious shoulder injury suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season. He also showed incredible toughness after losing teeth and breaking his jaw when hit in the face by a puck back in November.
In separate disciplinary news from the same day, the league also announced fines from Game 3 of the Montreal-Buffalo series. Buffalo's Beck Malenstyn was fined $3,515.63 for goalie interference on Montreal's Jakub Dobes, while Montreal's Arber Xhekaj was fined $3,385.42 for roughing Buffalo's Sam Carrick.
For Bruins fans, McAvoy's absence to start the next season will be a major challenge. For Sabres fans, it's a reminder that sometimes the game's most intense moments have lasting consequences. And for everyone else, it's a textbook example of why keeping your cool—and your stick down—is always the smarter play.