Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for six games following his slash on Buffalo Sabres Zach Benson. The suspension will start at the beginning of the 2026-27 season.
Charlie McAvoy has gotten suspended six games to start the 2026-27 season for his slash on Zach Benson here: pic.twitter.com/7IgnGrocP0
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— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) May 12, 2026
The incident occurred with under two minutes left in the game, with the Sabres winning 4-1. McAvoy was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for slashing.
Due to the incident occurring in Game 6, the suspension will start at the beginning of the 2026-27 season. The Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs by the Sabres, meaning the suspension couldn’t take effect until next season. He was offered an in-person hearing, giving the NHL Player Safety Department the leeway to suspend him for six games or more.
This is now McAvoy’s third suspension in his career. His first came in the playoffs in 2019 for an illegal check to the head, where he was suspended one game. His second was in 2023, where he was suspended four games for the same infraction.
