McAvoy gets six games for stick-swinging incident

TL;DR

Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins has been suspended for six games due to a stick-swinging incident against Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres. The suspension follows a major penalty and game misconduct during Game 6 of their playoff series.

Key points

Charlie McAvoy suspended for six games
Incident involved a slash on Zach Benson
McAvoy received a major penalty and game misconduct
Previous suspensions for checks to the head
Suspension adds intensity to next season's Bruins-Sabres match-up

Mentioned in this story

George Parros

Charlie McAvoyBoston BruinsBuffalo SabresZach Benson

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Buffalo Sabres in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images The NHL announced on Tuesday evening that Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will be suspended for the first six games of next season, the result of a slash on Buffalo’s Zach Benson in Game 6 of the Bruins-Sabres series. McAvoy was given a major and a game misconduct on the play in real time, with that play occurring with less than 90 seconds left in the Bruins’ season-ending loss. From the NHL: (I didn’t know the league still made these “look, here’s how we reached this conclusion” explainer videos, but they’re as weird as they’ve ever been.) Regardless of the colors you support, there’s really no way you can argue that McAvoy didn’t deserve some kind of supplemental discipline, as you simply can’t swing your stick at an opponent like that. Sure, Benson deserved something for slew footing McAvoy prior to the incident, but you can’t retaliate by chopping down with your stick. The sticking point from a Bruins perspective will be that the length of the suspension seems completely arbitrary, in keeping with NHL tradition. Consider, for example, this play by Alex Pietrangelo: That play came with an identical scoreline and pretty much the same amount of time left on the clock, and Pietrangelo was suspended for one playoff game. I guess you could argue that at the NHL Currency Exchange, one playoff game = six regular season games, but who knows? It’s a fool’s errand to try to get inside & Co’s collective brain and understand how they arrive at whatever conclusion, and it also feels a little silly to complain about the length of the suspension when it’s obvious McAvoy needed to get something. Regardless, McAvoy will now miss around 7% of next season for the B’s. McAvoy had been suspended twice prior to this incident, both times for checks to the head (one against , then with the , in the 2019 playoffs and one against , then with the Panthers, during the 2023-2024 regular season). There was already going to be plenty of juice in the first Bruins-Sabres match-up of next season, so this will only add fuel to the fire. If nothing else, at least this news ties up the last remaining loose end from this past season for the Bruins. Plus, now McAvoy has some extra time to get all of his dental work done. There’s always a bright side, right?

Q&A

Why was Charlie McAvoy suspended for six games?

Charlie McAvoy was suspended for six games for swinging his stick at Zach Benson during Game 6 of the Bruins-Sabres playoff series.

What incident led to McAvoy's suspension?

The suspension resulted from a slash on Zach Benson that occurred with less than 90 seconds left in the Bruins' season-ending loss.

How does McAvoy's suspension compare to other NHL suspensions?

McAvoy's six-game suspension is seen as arbitrary, especially when compared to Alex Pietrangelo's one-game suspension for a similar incident.

McAvoy gets six games for stick-swinging incident

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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