Nov. 8: After the appeal process, Bettman has decided to uphold McAvoy’s four-game suspension, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports.
Nov. 2: Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted that Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is planning to appeal the four-game suspension he received for his illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. McAvoy had a phone hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Tuesday shortly before he received news of the suspension.
Much like the Calgary Flames’ Rasmus Andersson suspension appeal, Gary Bettman would hear a McAvoy appeal because the suspension is for less than six games. In the case of Andersson, Bettman rejected the appeal and kept the suspension at four games.
McAvoy had just scored the game-tying goal mere moments before the hit occurred in the third period of Monday night’s game against Florida. McAvoy hit Ekman-Larsson with a blindside check in which the initial impact was the head of the Panthers defenseman. McAvoy was assessed a five-minute match penalty and was kicked out of the game. Ekman-Larsson was hurt on the play and stayed on the ice but did remain in the game.
The Long Beach, New York native was suspended once before back in 2019 when he was involved in a hit to the head of then Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson during the Bruins run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
McAvoy is sitting out the first game of his suspension tonight as the Bruins battle the Toronto Maple Leafs. If McAvoy’s suspension is upheld by Bettman then the 25-year-old won’t be eligible to return to the lineup until November 11th against the Montreal Canadiens.
Should have gotten 10! Hitting a guy in the head w/o the puck! and from his blind side!!!!
I’m a big B’s fan and I think he deserves at least 4. When it happened I knew it would be at least 2 and just couldn’t understand what he was thinking. I would be surprised if it gets reduced.
Tonight’s game proved the Bruins should’ve moved Griz( I personally like Carlo and Forbort) this summer for cap space or bottom 6 guy because now we have a better player sitting on the baby B’s roster that’s Lohrei
Extend the suspension honestly.
I wish they could do that when players have the audacity to appeal some of these. It’s not like it’s the only hit that he threw like that in the game, either…
What exactly is there to appeal, could have easily been more games in my opinion. Is he really surprised he was suspended 4 games for that dirty head hit?
damn everyone, cry a little harder and this…
He should have been suspended for the hit on Taylor Hall. Cheap shot Charlie.
Wow I guess the tampon dispenser needs a refill in here
The pearl-clutching comments are somewhat surprising. I thought people on this site were hockey fans.