Charlie McAvoy wanted to finish his check, but the Boston Bruins defenseman got a little more than he bargained for, and now he might have to sit out because of it.
McAvoy will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson during the Bruins’ series-clinching 3-0 win in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoff second-round series. The Boston defenseman caught Anderson with a shoulder to the head that earned him a two-minute penalty and could be even more costly as the B’s get ready to begin the Eastern Conference Final.
McAvoy’s hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The third-year D-man has a clean record, so he has that going for him. However, even in the playoffs, the NHL has a low tolerance for hits to the head. McAvoy’s hit was somewhat similar to a play involving San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton earlier in the playoffs. Thornton received a one-game suspension for this hit on Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek.
The Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes open the Eastern Conference Final sometime later this week at TD Garden. Whether McAvoy is on the ice, however, remains to be seen.
