After a year bumps, bruises, and injury – top Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will have to wait longer than most to play again. McAvoy has been suspended six games to start the 2026-27 season for his slash on Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson in Boston’s decisive loss on April 28, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. McAvoy will forfeit just a bit more than $300K in salary due to the suspension, Johnston adds.
The incident leading to McAvoy’s slash occurred in the final 90 seconds of Boston’s season. On a race for a puck headed towards an empty net, Benson’s skate swept McAvoy’s legs from under him – causing the defender to crash into the end-boards. In response, McAvoy two-hand slashed Benson across his upper-body. He was assessed a game misconduct and major penalty on the play. Benson was also handed a minor penalty for tripping. The NHL explained that McAvoy used his stick as a weapon – even loading up for the strike – which led to the significant suspension.
This is McAvoy’s fourth run-in with the NHL Department of Player Safety. He was suspended one game in 2019 for a check to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson. In 2022, McAvoy was fined $5K for tripping Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei. The first significant suspension of his career came at the start of the 2023-24 season, when McAvoy was forced to miss four games after a check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Now, McAvoy’s record of suspensions will find a new low. His absence will leave a big hole in Boston’s lineup to start the season. He averaged 24:23 in ice time this season – three minutes more than anyone else on the roster. He finished the year with 11 goals and 61 points in 69 games, to go with 62 penalty minutes, 79 hits, and 129 shot blocks. Once again, his physical and relentless style of hockey made a difference for the Bruins – though it also led McAvoy to miss 13 games from a string of difficult injuries, including losing multiple teeth. A bit more discipline next season could go far in helping McAvoy avoid both injury and the Department of Safety.
The Bruins bumped Andrew Peeke up the lineup in McAvoy’s absence this season. They may not be able to do the same next season, with Peeke set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He finished the 2025-26 season with 14 points, 105 hits, and a team-leading 135 shot blocks. Those impacts helped Peeke climb to an average 19:23 in ice time, nearly a minute more than he managed in his first season with Boston last year. After another season offering impactful depth, Peeke should be a strong candidate to re-sign with the Bruins who will have more than $16MM in cap space per PuckPedia. If Peeke moves on, the top right-defense role will be open to a summer signing for the first games of the season.
Benson gets nothing for the slew foot? 🤷♂️
Sure. Because that qualifies you to get a hockey stick swung like an axe that could have killed him if it hits him in the head. Even wearing a helmet. Yeah seems fair.
And a slew foot can’t result in a serious injury? 🤨
Last recorded death of a player due to slew foot? I’ll wait. Death is a fair punishment. New headline- Shoplifter executed for crimes. Child took bubblegum, Should have known better. Sure. This a McAvoy playlist. It’s been done before and more than once. I guess he should be lucky that for once McAvoy hit what he was aiming at, Or not.
Well the slew foot on an icing call could have ended McAvoy’s career – he was sent into the boards feet first.
Benson – if he’s man enough – will have to answer for that dangerous hit next season – but my guess is he will run and turtle until the linemen gets there.
There was a player – Peeke? I believe me playing for Columbus that had his career ended by a slew foot into the end boards – shattered his heel.
Has anyone died from a two hander to the shoulder? Not really the standard, is it?
Both Nathan Horton and Marc Savard had their careers ended by concussions they got after being slew footed. More recently, Jared Spurgeon missed 3 weeks after being slew footed by a Preds player this season.
Peeke who’s with Boston now? his odds of winning a Cup went away when he went to Boston
I think he meant Pat Peake who broke his heel bone after getting slew footed. Played for the Capitals for quite a few years.
Should not change anything. First American captain C in Bruins history.
That’s a joke, But then again so is the whole NHL disciplinary system so there’s that.
6 games is a joke? Did you want McAvoy drawn & quartered? For slashing a guy on the arm? Benson was so traumatized he literally laughed it off in the moment.
Swinging your stick like an axe should bring no less than 10 and more like 20. McAvoy ‘s been fined repeatedly for offenses similar but not as bad and gotten slaps on the wrist. I guess he has to kill somebody to get any attention. Ole Cheap Shot Charlie will keep on until somebodies family has to be notified I guess. Be great for the ratings though I suppose.
Where do you get your info from?? Just wondering as you say he’s been fined multiple times for the same situation?
When? He’s got suspended and a fine – but none because a a slash or swing of a stick.
So using your stick as a weapon to slash or whatever gets a 6 game suspension but yet, a player targeting the head of another player gets practically nothing in the NHL?! George Perros & the entire player safety department needs to be fired! The egregious and negligence of this department is beyond incompetent and just shameful.
I’m willing to bet that if the Bruins had won that series they would have let Ole Cheap Shot keep playing somehow. What BS ruling they would have made. Think it would have been reduced to say your sorry and take an anger management class.
Do your saying the only reason Benson got away with the slew foot is because they won the series?
I agree if the exact scenario played out in gm 1, he likely would not have gotten 6 games. 3 maybe. & Perhaps Benson might have been given a game.
Charlie MacAvoy has a few suspensions in his short career, 6 games seems a bit light given he’s already had a few before this malicious and brain dead stunt, you’d only have to hope he learns… at some point
Before somebody dies.