The Boston Bruins came away with another victory, but head coach Marco Sturm wasn’t pleased with the actions of one of his highest-paid players.
Sturm publicly criticized star defenseman Charlie McAvoy following Boston’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, Nov. 2, taking issue with the veteran’s lack of discipline after he committed three minor penalties.
McAvoy, who is playing on an eight-year, $76 million contract, was responsible for all six of Boston’s penalty minutes in the contest.
And despite the Bruins securing two points, Sturm made it known that the 28-year-old needs to handle his emotions better.
Marco Sturm Calls Out Charlie McAvoy After Rough Penalty Sequence
McAvoy’s troubles began with an interference penalty in the first period, but things escalated during the second period with Boston leading 2-0.
With 5:10 remaining, McAvoy was called for holding Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner to hand Vegas an opportunity to get back into the game.
The Golden Knights capitalized in a snap, as captain Mark Stone scored just eight seconds into the power play to cut Boston’s advantage to 2-1.
McAvoy’s frustration then boiled over.
Upon leaving the penalty box, the veteran defenseman directed comments toward referee Jon McIsaac, who assessed another two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
That forced McAvoy back into the penalty box, although Boston successfully killed the ensuing power play.
Sturm wasn’t willing to overlook the sequence.
“That’s something he needs to control. That’s on him,” Sturm said, according to Matt Vautour of MassLive.
The Bruins coach also made it clear that he didn’t agree with McAvoy’s earlier penalty, noting that he had sought clarification from the officials.
“I didn’t like his first penalty, though. I didn’t like it,” Sturm said, per Boston Hockey Now.
Vegas tied the game in the third period on Trevor Connelly’s goal, forcing overtime before David Pastrnak scored the deciding shootout goal.
Bruins’ $76 Million Star Served Suspension This Season
Sturm’s criticism comes just weeks after McAvoy returned from a notable disciplinary absence.
The defenseman missed Boston’s first six games of the 2026-27 campaign after the NHL suspended him for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The incident occurred late in Boston’s first-round playoff elimination against Buffalo and resulted in a suspension that carried over into the new season.
McAvoy has since regained his prominent role on the Bruins’ blue line.
Through his first 10 appearances this season, the former first-round pick has recorded one goal and seven assists for eight points while averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game.
His six penalty minutes against Vegas accounted for half of his season total.
Aside from his first-rate quality, his hefty eight-year, $76 million extension signed in October 2021 comes to mind as to why he needs to be on the ice as much as possible. The deal has a $9.5 million annual salary cap hit and runs through the 2029-30 season.
Boston is counting on McAvoy to anchor its defense as it attempts to build on an impressive start to the campaign. And his offensive contributions have been important following a career-best 61-point season in 2025-26.
But Sturm’s latest words underline the expectations that accompany McAvoy’s responsibilities as one of the Bruins’ veteran leaders.
The Bruins are now 11-4-1 with Monday’s victory, next battling the Penguins on Thursday, Nov. 5 at PPG Paints Arena.
Bruins’ $76 Million Star Gets Called Out by Head Coach