By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
Well, the first big news of the 2026 off-season is here, and it’s not great. Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been suspended six games as punishment for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game Six of the two team’s 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff Matchup.
The suspension is the third of McAvoy’s career, with the first of the other two incidents coming during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where McAvoy delivered an illegal check to the head of Josh Anderson, who at the time was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets. McAvoy was suspended for Game One of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
The other incident came in 2023, when McAvoy delivered another illegal check to the head, this time to Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. McAvoy received four games for that one.
Six games is McAvoy’s lengthiest suspension to date, and will be a big loss for a Bruins’ team that is likely to see some roster moves surrounding their defense this season. Andrew Peeke is a pending unrestricted free agent, while Mason Lohrei was a healthy scratch for most of the team’s first round series against the Sabres. It seems likely that Boston will make a few moves on the backend this summer. Regardless, the Bruins will once again need depth players to step up at the start of next season to get through this suspension.
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