The Boston Bruins lost defenseman Charlie McAvoy during their matchup against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night after he was struck in 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 in 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 rather than directly to the Bruins’ bench.

Teammate Nikita Zadorov was seen trying to retrieve lost teeth following the play. The Bruins ruled McAvoy out for the remainder of the game before the start of the third period due to an upper-body injury. At the time of his exit, Boston led 2-1.

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Before leaving the ice, McAvoy had spent 13:41 on the ice, blocked three shots, and taken 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 another injury blow for Boston in the early 2025-26 season. Earlier, defenseman Hampus Lindholm missed several weeks due to injury, while center Elias Lindholm took a hit from Buffalo’s Jordan Greenway, causing him to miss action. Boston narrowly avoided injury to forward John Beecher in 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 potential replacement 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 coming weeks.