Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy plans to appeal his four-game suspension

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that Boston Bruins’ defenseman Charlie McAvoy is appealing his four-game suspension.

The NHL announced the punishment on Tuesday after McAvoy committed an illegal check to the head to Florida Panthers’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The incident happened halfway through the third period of Boston’s 3-2 overtime win Monday night. McAvoy ventured deep into Florida’s zone and, after Ekman-Larsson attempted to play a bouncing puck, McAvoy hammered him with a blindside hit.

The play earned McAvoy a five-minute match penalty. It drew the ire of the NHL DOPS for two reasons in this case: (a) the principal point of contact was Ekman-Larsson’s head and (b) the hit was late enough to qualify as interference.

Former NHL referee and current ESPN rules analyst Dave Jackson appeared on Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE to chat with Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk about the hit and what the end result might be.

“I don’t think it was malicious, I think it was more reckless and bad timing,” said Jackson. “But clearly the puck is gone so it’s semi-late. He also makes zero attempt to hit through the core (the front, chest area).

“The only options the referee has is a two-minute minor or a match penalty, and that definitely rose above a two-minute penalty,” he continued.

McAvoy had been suspended once in 2019, meaning he’s technically not a repeat offender as it wasn’t committed within 18 months of this most recent incident. However, it was for an illegal check to the head, which the DOPS likely took into consideration.

In nine games this season, McAvoy scored two goals and six assists for eight points. He’s recorded 43 goals and 195 assists for 238 points in 389 career games in the NHL.