Bruins Defenseman Charlie McAvoy Discusses Suspension, Provides Health Update
The Boston Bruins are gearing up for the start of the season.
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy talked about his preparation for the new campaign after the second captains’ practice of the week on Thursday morning.
“I'm just preparing the same way that I always would,” said McAvoy. “It's kind of just been the same thing as every other summer, just ramping up now to try and put my best foot forward on day one. And obviously it'll be a delayed start, but I'd like to just hit the ground running. That's the goal every year.”
McAvoy will miss the first six games of the season after being suspended for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson in Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 1.
The penalty came at the 18:29 mark of the third period with Boston down 4-1 to Buffalo. McAvoy received a major penalty and a game misconduct. The Sabres went on to win 4-1 to advance to the second round and send the Bruins into the offseason.
McAvoy had an in-person hearing for the penalty at the NHL’s office days after the game.
Boston’s Charlie McAvoy will have an in-person hearing on Monday, May 11th at the NHL’s office in New York City for slashing Buffalo’s Zach Benson. https://t.co/N7torjg34h
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 4, 2026
He spoke about the process on Thursday.
“I respect the opportunity to have gone there and tried to state my case and try and speak my truth on it and maybe try and get them to understand why I maybe did what I did or felt how I felt,” said McAvoy. “And the reality of the situation is like you're just at the mercy of whatever they decide. Just is what it is. So, you're going against the league and a group of people. It's a very difficult process. It's one that is not really for the player to to come out the other side and have any luck in it I feel like. But I do respect the opportunity that I got to go there and talk to them. Did it change a thing? Was it worth the time? I don't know. I got closure out of it. So, yeah, I guess I respect that.”
The 28-year-old also detailed his mindset and the decision to go after Benson during the game.
“I thought that was extremely dangerous,” said McAvoy. “That was something I tried to explain is that there's guys that, you're talking about broken legs, broken ankles, knees, like everything. When you go into the boards at full speed, that, in my mind, is one of the most dangerous and vulnerable situations you could be in. Every single year there's case after case of guys leaving the ice on stretchers because of stuff like that. So, in my mind, in that situation, and where we were I felt like that was a deliberate play that could have resulted in a serious injury for me and that was why I kind of snapped. If I didn't have a broken hand maybe I would have fought him, but I did and it was just in that mind I lost my wits to a certain degree and I have regrets about that certainly.
“And it's something that I kind of have to learn from because it can't happen for myself and the team,” said McAvoy. “But yeah, none of it sits well and it won't ever sit well. I'm going to miss a lot of time and there's a lot of penalties that'll come with it and it's another strike on my record which drives me crazy to be honest because I know it's not who I am. But I landed myself there again then so I just have to learn from these things and try and be a better person in play.”
Angered by a Benson slew foot, Charlie McAvoy slashed the Sabre forward -- receiving a major and a game misconductpic.twitter.com/2gVdIttch6
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 2, 2026
Additionally, he provided a health update after suffering a couple of injuries last season including a broken hand during the postseason.
“Yeah, I mean it was delayed a little bit,” said McAvoy. “Just trying to take time to get right, get my body back. I had a couple different things going on, but ultimately I got to a good spot. And then you can really ramp up in summer. So, it was pretty good timing with getting healthy and getting to this point now where we're still ramping and still trying to incorporate some new things that we weren't able to do at the beginning of the summer. But overall feel really good about where the body's at.”
The Bruins open their season on Sept. 29 at home against the New York Rangers. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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Kim Rankin is a lead writer for Boston Bruins on SI and Boston College On SI. A 2020 graduate of the University of Alabama. she joined Alabama Crimson Tide On SI in February 2024 covering baseball, softball, football, men’s basketball, and more for BamaCentral, but has also contributed to Missouri Tigers On SI. She previously worked as the brand manager at Tide 100.9 FM in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She has covered a wide variety of events including SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals, and bowl games.