Bruins’ McAvoy suspended six games for slashing Sabres’ Benson

A hefty penalty for a violent act.

On Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Boston Bruins defenseman has been suspended six games for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson.

With the Bruins already being knocked out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, McAvoy will serve his suspension at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign.

The incident occurred in the closing minutes of the final game of the Atlantic Division Semifinal between the two rivals. With the Sabres on their way to a 4-1 win in Game 6, effectively eliminating the Bruins, Benson and McAvoy were chasing a loose puck into the Boston zone. Benson knocked down McAvoy with what appeared to be a slew foot, before the latter crashed into the endboards. It led to an irate McAvoy charging after Benson once the play was over.

McAvoy two-handed slashed Benson across the midsection, leading to the last of many melees between the Sabres and Bruins.

McAvoy was handed a five-minute major penalty for slashing, and a game misconduct.

This isn’t the first time the Long Beach, N.Y. native has faced supplemental discipline in his career. In 2024, he was suspended for four games after an illegal hit to the head on then-Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. During the 2019 playoffs, McAvoy was banned one game for a check to the head of Josh Anderson, then with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

McAvoy’s actions certainly put a damper on what was an exceptional season for the 28-year-old. He scored 11 goals in 69 games, setting career highs in assists (50) and points (61), helping Boston finish fourth in the Atlantic, securing the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

McAvoy is coming to the end of the fourth season of his eight-year contract extension, which he signed with the Bruins in October 2021. The deal carries an AAV of $9.5 million through the 2029-30 campaign.