Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy suspended 6 games for slashing Sabres’ Benson

​Whereas Benson was whistled for tripping on the play, McAvoy was hit with each a five-minute main for slashing and a sport misconduct.

“You don’t need to see a man take a chop like that at someone else,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff mentioned postgame. “I haven’t appeared on the play. I believe he feels that Benson tripped him on the play and took his toes out from beneath him.

“Our ideas on the top of the sport was, ‘Let’s simply get by way of the top of the sport.’ We’re not going to attempt to rating. We’re simply going to get by way of the sport. Once more, I’m simply going to say uncooked emotion. Charlie is a hell of a participant, cares about profitable. Anyone would need Charlie on his group. Most likely went somewhat too far, although.”

Throughout Boston’s end-of-season media availability on Could 3, McAvoy was requested if he was stunned to get a name from the Division of Participant Security.

“I didn’t give it an excessive amount of thought in any respect. I used to be caught up ultimately of the season and dropping. That was extra the place my focus was,” McAvoy mentioned. “With every part associated to that, out of respect for the method, I’m not going to remark something on that till I’ve an opportunity to talk with them.”

This marks the third time McAvoy has been suspended by the NHL’s Division of Participant Security.

In 2019, McAvoy served a one-game ban through the Stanley Cup Playoffs for an unlawful verify to the top in opposition to then-Columbus ahead Josh Anderson. In 2023, he was suspended for 4 video games for an unlawful verify to the top of Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson. ​

McAvoy’s presence might be missed in the beginning of subsequent season. Regardless of lacking 13 video games on account of harm this previous yr, McAvoy led the Bruins in common ice time per sport (24:23) whereas scoring a career-high 61 factors (11 objectives, 50 assists) in 69 video games.

Talking final week, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm supplied up an endorsement of McAvoy, whereas additionally acknowledging that the previous BU product must work on conserving his feelings in verify at instances.​

“He’s a Boston Bruin for me, and he reveals it every day, on the ice, off the ice, so I actually like that,” Sturm mentioned. “The one factor I used to be making an attempt to get him higher at is conserving his feelings even, I’d say, and he did, general, an amazing job, and that’s why he had, in all probability one in all his greatest years ever.​

“Are there nonetheless instances he sort of goes loopy? Sure, it’s virtually like you may’t even get mad at him as a result of he cares a lot. However on the opposite facet, that’s one thing he simply must get higher at, as a result of I really feel like when he’s beneath management, he performs his greatest hockey, and he confirmed it with us. He confirmed it with Crew USA on the Olympics, and that’s one thing we’re [going to] proceed to get higher and higher, however the way in which he performed and the way in which he acted, it was excellent.”

 

Conor Ryan is a employees author masking the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Crimson Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.