Charlie McAvoy leaves the Canadiens game after taking a puck in the face
The Boston Bruins lost defenseman Charlie McAvoy during Saturday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after the puck hit him in the face. The incident occurred at 11:01 of the second period during a Canadiens power play when Montreal defenseman Noah Dobson fired a one-timer from the blue line. The shot appeared to bounce off Bruins forward Marko Kastelic before hitting McAvoy squarely in the mouth area, slipping under his visor.
The 27-year-old American immediately fell to the ice, bleeding profusely, and was helped by head athletic trainer Dustin Stuck. McAvoy was escorted down the runway in Montreal for medical attention, not directly to the Bruins bench.
Teammate Nikita Zadorov was seen trying to get his lost teeth back after the game. The Bruins ruled McAvoy out for the rest of the game before the start of the third period with an upper-body injury. At the time of his exit, Boston was leading 2-1.
Before leaving the ice, McAvoy spent 13:41 on the ice, blocked three shots and took a penalty. Entering Saturday’s contest, he had 14 assists in 18 games while averaging 24:20 minutes per night, leading the Bruins in average ice time.
It’s another injury blow for Boston at the start of the 2025-26 season. Earlier, defensive end Hampus Lindholm missed several weeks with an injury, while center Elias Lindholm hit Buffalo’s Jordan Greenway, causing him to miss action. Boston narrowly avoided an injury to forward John Beecher in the previous match.
In McAvoy’s absence, first-year Bruins coach Marco Sturm could adjust defensive pairings and rotations in the game. Henri Jokiharju is a potential replacement if McAvoy is unable to return for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Losing a top linebacker who averages over 24 minutes per game could significantly affect Boston’s defensive stability and special teams effectiveness in the coming weeks.
2025-11-16 03:02:00
