Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy suspended for six video games for slashing Sabres’ Zach Benson

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for six games in 2026-27 for slashing Buffalo Sabres ahead Zach Benson on the finish of Game 6 within the groups’ first-round collection. McAvoy participated in an in-person listening to with the Department of Player Safety on Monday in New York.

McAvoy was retaliating after being tripped by Benson at 18:29 of the third interval whereas going again for the puck on an icing name. After he bought to his skates, McAvoy pursued Benson and delivered a two-handed slash. McAvoy was referred to as for a five-minute slashing main and a sport misconduct. Benson was given a tripping minor.

“Obviously bothered me,” Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov mentioned. “One of our best players gets slew-footed like that. Not sure if that guy did it on purpose or not on purpose, but it’s still a dirty play, and our player could have gotten hurt.”

The NHL’s video explaining the self-discipline famous that “Players are not excused from illegal acts just because of a prior foul by an opponent. 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.”

The suspension will price McAvoy greater than $300,000 in wage, pending any enchantment. He was beforehand suspended for 4 video games in 2023-24 for an unlawful examine to the top of then-Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.