The Boston Bruins lost defenseman Charlie McAvoy during their matchup against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night after he was struck within the face by a puck. 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 deflect off Bruins forward Mark Kastelic before hitting McAvoy directly within the mouth area, slipping under his visor.
The 27-year-old American immediately dropped to the ice, bleeding heavily, and was assisted off by head athletic trainer Dustin Stuck. McAvoy was escorted down the Montreal runway for medical attention reasonably than on to the Bruins’ bench.
Teammate Nikita Zadorov was seen attempting to retrieve lost teeth following the play. The Bruins ruled McAvoy out for the rest of the sport before the beginning of the third period as a result of an upper-body injury. On the time of his exit, Boston led 2-1.
Before leaving the ice, McAvoy had spent 13:41 on the ice, blocked three shots, and brought a slashing 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 one other injury blow for Boston within the early 2025-26 season. Earlier, defenseman Hampus Lindholm missed several weeks as a result of injury, while center Elias Lindholm took successful from Buffalo’s Jordan Greenway, causing him to miss motion. Boston narrowly avoided injury to forward John Beecher of their previous matchup.
In McAvoy’s absence, first-year Bruins head coach Marco Sturm may adjust defensive pairings and power-play rotations. Henri Jokiharju is a possible substitute if McAvoy is unable to return for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Losing a top defenseman who averages over 24 minutes per game could significantly impact Boston’s defensive stability and special teams effectiveness in the approaching weeks.