Bruins McAvoy To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

By: Yanni Latzanakis  |  Follow Me On Twitter:  @yanlatz
On Monday night, the Boston Bruins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in game six of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series by a score of 3-0 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2013. However, the Black ‘N Gold might be without Charlie McAvoy to begin the series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
With 20 seconds to go in the second period, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy illegally laid out Blue Jackets’ forward Josh Anderson. McAvoy leaned into Anderson and finished the hit upwards in which McAvoy’s shoulder made contact with Anderson’s head and leaving the Columbus forward on the ice in pain.

Bruins’ McAvoy lays out Blue Jackets’ Anderson with a controversial hit late in the second period of Game 6

Thoughts on the minor penalty call? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/zSMqrhLOKM
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) May 7, 2019

After a lengthy discussion between the referees, McAvoy was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal hit to the head. As a result, McAvoy will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Tuesday and could be suspended for the hit.

Boston’s Charlie McAvoy will have a hearing today for an Illegal Check to the Head on Columbus’ Josh Anderson.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 7, 2019

Fans and members of the media believed that the hit was worthy of a major penalty but instead was only called a minor. Many believe that because it was the playoffs and the recent controversial major penalty call on Cody Eakin in Game Seven between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights that the referees refrained from calling a five-minute major on Charlie McAvoy.
Stay tuned for the Department of Player Safety’s ruling on the Charlie McAvoy hit.