Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Offered In-Person Hearing for Slashing Sabres’ Zach Benson

Reflecto News | NHL | Stanley Cup Playoffs

BOSTON — Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been offered an in-person hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety after a vicious late-game slash on Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series .

The incident occurred with approximately 90 seconds remaining in the third period of the Bruins’ 4-1 season-ending loss at TD Garden . McAvoy was racing back to retrieve an icing call when Benson appeared to trip him with a slew foot, sending the Bruins defenseman crashing hard into the end boards, according to a report from ESPN .

McAvoy immediately got up, skated toward Benson through his teammates, and delivered a two-handed baseball swing slash across the Sabres forward’s torso . He was assessed a five-minute major penalty for slashing, which carries an automatic game misconduct, meaning he was unable to participate in the postgame handshake line . Benson received a two-minute minor penalty for tripping .

Hearing Signals Potential Lengthy Suspension

The NHL offered McAvoy an in-person hearing rather than a phone hearing, indicating that the league is considering a suspension of six games or more . If the league had offered only a phone hearing, the maximum suspension would be five games .

Because the Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss, any suspension McAvoy receives would be enforced at the beginning of the 2026-27 regular season . The date and time of the hearing have not yet been announced .

McAvoy’s Suspension History

The 28-year-old defenseman has been suspended twice previously in his NHL career :

• A one-game suspension in 2019 for an illegal check to the head of then-Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson during a playoff game
• A four-game suspension in 2023 for an illegal check to the head of then-Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson

“I won’t play another game until September,” McAvoy told reporters after the game when asked about potential discipline. “I can’t imagine it really matters much” .

Sabres Coach Acknowledges ‘Raw Emotion’

Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff offered a measured response to the incident after the game.

“You don’t want to see the last play of the game,” Ruff said. “You don’t want to see a guy take a chop like that at somebody else. I think he feels that Benson tripped him on the play or took his feet out from underneath him” .

Ruff acknowledged McAvoy’s competitive nature while noting he stepped over the line.

“I’m just going to say raw emotion,” Ruff added. “Charlie’s a hell of a player. Cares about winning. Anybody would want Charlie on his team. Probably went a little too far, though” .

A Disappointing Series for Boston’s Top Defenseman

The incident capped a frustrating first-round exit for McAvoy, who finished the six-game series with a minus-6 rating and two assists . He played a career-low in the series and was outhustled on a key play that led to Buffalo’s backbreaking third goal in Game 6 .

The Bruins, who entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, were eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive season.

The league did not announce any further discipline for Benson, who was only charged with a two-minute minor tripping penalty at the time of the play .

This article will be updated as more information becomes available regarding the hearing date and any suspension handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

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