Three NHL stars suspended going into the season
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Three notable NHL names are dealing with suspensions just as the 2026-27 season gets underway, and each situation carries its own weight heading into opening week.
Playoff Punishments Carry Over
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will sit out the first six games of the new season for a retaliatory slash on Buffalo forward Zach Benson during the Sabres' series-clinching win last spring.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety ruled the strike intentional and delivered for the purpose of retribution, even though Benson had tripped McAvoy moments earlier.
It marks the third suspension of McAvoy's career and the longest ban handed out by the league since early last year.
Ottawa forward Ridly Greig received a lighter penalty, two games, for a roughing incident during the Senators' final playoff game against Carolina.
Greig landed a pair of shots on Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during an on-ice scrum, including a gloved punch that sent Walker to his knees. He was not penalized in the moment, but the league office stepped in weeks later.
Jets Goalie Situation Unresolved
The most unusual case belongs to Connor Hellebuyck. The Winnipeg Jets suspended their star goaltender indefinitely after he failed to report to training camp.
The move follows Hellebuyck's public trade request, made through his agent after months of quiet discussions with the organization.
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner has said his position has not changed, and with no trade in place, his camp holdout has now become a formal suspension with no set return date.
Together, the three cases highlight very different sides of NHL discipline, from on-ice retaliation to an off-ice standoff that has left a franchise goaltender in limbo. All three situations remain worth tracking as training camps continue.
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