Charlie McAvoy receives six-game suspension to start next season for Game 6 slash on Sabres’ Zach Benson

Bruins alternate captain Charlie McAvoy was suspended for six games without pay Tuesday for his slash on Buffalo’s Zach Benson in the waning minutes of Game 6 of the teams’ first-round Eastern Conference playoff series May 1 at TD Garden.

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McAvoy’s two-handed chop on Benson was in retaliation for the Sabres forward’s slew-foot takedown of the Bruins defenseman near the rear boards.

McAvoy was given a five-minute slashing major and a 10-minute game misconduct while Benson was penalized two minutes for tripping.

In explaining the decision, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety called McAvoy’s actions “an intentional and forceful strike delivered to an opponent’s body specifically for the purpose of retribution.”

Benson’s dangerous takedown — players have been suspended in the past for slew footing — doesn’t absolve McAvoy of his equally unsafe action but was likely part of his argument during Monday’s in-person hearing with the DPS in New York.

In the video, the DPS also said, “Players are not excused from illegal acts just because of a prior foul by an opponent.”

The DPS pointed out McAvoy is a repeat offender, having previously suspended twice and fined once.

In 2019, McAvoy served a one-game ban for an illegal check to the head of Josh Anderson in a playoff game against Columbus. In 2023, he was suspended four games for an illegal check to the head of Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

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“I guess really after [the game], I didn’t give it too much thought at all, to be honest. Just really more caught up in the end of the season and losing. So that really was where my focus was,” McAvoy said May 3, the day players cleaned out their lockers. “But I think just in terms of everything kind of related with [the incidents with Benson], just out of respect for the process, I’m probably … I’m not going to comment anything on it until I can have the chance to speak with [the DPS].”

McAvoy has the option to appeal the suspension to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman within 48 hours. If Bettman doesn’t reduce the ban, McAvoy can further appeal to a neutral arbitrator. According to the league, “The standard of review will be whether the League’s finding of violation of the League Playing Rules and the penalty imposed were both supported by substantial evidence.”

The latest suspension puts closure on an eventful season — and injury-filled — season for McAvoy.

McAvoy missed 11 games after breaking his jaw and losing four teeth after taking a slap shot to the face in Montreal. He lost nearly 20 pounds following the injury.

Additionally, he took an elbow to the face from Florida’s Sandis Vilmanis (swollen jaw) in February, then in March both a puck to the mouth in Nashville (chipped tooth) and a hit from Los Angeles’s Samuel Helenius (bloodied lip, dental work).

Still, McAvoy was able to put together one of his better seasons, collecting career highs in assists (50) and points (61).

Additionally, he served as an alternate captain for the US Olympic team, which beat Canada to capture the gold medal.

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