It was a tough end to the playoffs for Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. On top of his team losing in six games to Buffalo on Friday, the veteran was ejected from the game for a slash on Sabres winger Zach Benson. In response, the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that McAvoy has been offered an in-person hearing. The date and time of the hearing have yet to be determined but with Boston done for the season, there is no need to hold it over the next day or two.
The in-person element is particularly important. While a phone hearing carries a maximum of a five-game suspension, an in-person hearing allows the league to suspend him for longer than that. If that were to happen, the NHLPA would then have an opportunity to appeal to Commissioner Gary Bettman as well.
The incident occurred late in the third period of Friday’s game. Benson was set to receive a slew-foot tripping minor on McAvoy and while play continued, McAvoy chased down Benson and gave him a baseball-swing slash, receiving a minor, major, and a game misconduct on the play. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was among those to provide a video clip of the play.
McAvoy has two suspensions on his record. He received a one-game ban in 2019 for an illegal check to the head on then-Columbus winger Josh Anderson in the playoffs and a four-game suspension in 2023 for an illegal check to the head on then-Florida blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Any supplementary discipline received will be served at the start of next season.
It’s ironic how the article mentions Josh Anderson being a target by Charlie McAvoy for a incident in the past but yet, why didn’t that POS Anderson not get a suspension for the nasty headshot to Charle E D’Astous?… Department of Player Safety is an utter joke. It picks and chooses who to target. The fact, Gary Bettman thinks it does a “great job” is legitimately an embarrassment to the league. George Perros should be fired as he isn’t qualified at all for the position.
McAvoy literally brought his stick well over his head to chop down on Benson’s arm, Anderson wasn’t nearly as blatant but yeah not good still, McAvoy’s chop was a more blatant attempt to injure. i would say 10 games but more likely 8
Offered? Or Summoned should have been more like it.
I agree McAvoy deserves the penalties and a hearing, but why nothing about the slew foot from benson? That’s just as bad if not worse
I heard McAvoy was kicked out of Nursery School for hitting another kid over the head with a plastic chair for taking his Juice Box.
If it was you, I commend him
10 games minimum.
name fits this article perfectly lol
With all the times Ole Cheap Shot Charlie has gotten away with it before why should now be any different? Hopefully someday somebody will take care of him. Hockey players have long memories.
He should have another hearing for his hit to Josh Doan’s head or his WWE slam on Dahlin.
He was dirty the entire series.
Since birth.
Over the top reaction by McAvoy, but Benson is a punk.
The slash was as blatant as they come but not life-threatening.
There are a couple of excuses McAvoy can use. He has just been cheap-shoted by Benson and it was a “heat of the moment” incident, not a cold-blood Grieg’s suckerpunch.
The league can’t be seen to be lenient on things like that. They’ll give him at least 5 games but it won’t be more than 10.
Then you might as well make it none. If it’s less than 10 it won’t even stop the next idiot who does it.
Even if it’s 20 games, it won’t stop McAvoy from doing it again.
He wasn’t thinking straight there. His rage made him forget everything apart from the retaliation. Nothing else mattered at that moment. He did the most stupid thing – did minimum damage to Benson and maximum damage to himself. If he were thinking straight, he would have dropped the gloves and beat the crap out Benson. In the melee that would have ensued, he would have gotten an instigator but most likely no suspension.
Instead, it will cost him around $1M.
The problem McAvoy has is called “the red mist”, or anger management. People under the red mist do not behave rationally and can do anything, including killing.
The NHL though has to make their decision regardless of any red mist, even though the decision-makers understand the problem very well because it’s common in hockey. It will be based on the public perception of the incident.