Boston Fleet defender Rylind MacKinnon has been suspended for one game following an illegal hit to the head during Game One of the Walter Cup semifinals against the Ottawa Charge.

The incident occurred at 15:32 of the first period during Boston’s 2–1 victory on Thursday night. MacKinnon received a five-minute major penalty after a lengthy video review for an illegal hit to the head of Ottawa Charge forward Gabbie Hughes.

Hughes was rushing the puck into the Fleet zone when she tried to cut inside MacKinnon. The Boston defender stepped up and delivered a high hit that sent the 26-year-old Hughes spiralling to the ice.

Gabbie was down on the ice for several moments before trudging to the Ottawa bench. After a brief discussion with the team’s training staff, she went down the tunnel and into the locker room. However, she was able to return to action for the second period.

Player Safety Committee’s verdict

After reviewing the play, the Player Safety Committee determined that MacKinnon made no attempt to play the puck when she delivered a high, forceful and illegal body check that made her opponent’s head the main point of contact on a play where such head contact was avoidable.

The video review from the Central Situation Room confirmed the five-minute major penalty and also issued MacKinnon a game misconduct, ending her night early. The five-minute major penalty gave Ottawa an extended power play opportunity. With the Fleet shorthanded, Ottawa scored on the advantage. Rookie defender Rory Guilday fired a one-timer from the blue line that was tipped in front of the crease by veteran Jocelyne Larocque. This gave the Charge a 1–0 lead with 1:54 remaining in the first period.

Despite the penalty trouble and early deficit, Boston battled back to win 2–1, with both Fleet goals coming in the second period.

MacKinnon will now miss Game Two of the semifinal series, which occurred on Saturday night at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Not Rylind MacKinnon’s first offence

This isn’t the first time MacKinnon has faced discipline this season. The second-year defender was previously fined $500 for her actions in an altercation on March 27 and suspended one game for an illegal check to the head on December 21, 2024, when she was a member of the Toronto Sceptres.

MacKinnon now faces her second suspension of the season for similar violations of the league’s player safety rules.

While playoff suspensions in the PWHL are uncommon, MacKinnon is not the first player to face this consequence during the postseason.

In the 2025 playoffs, Minnesota Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme was suspended for one game after an illegal check to the head in Game one of the semifinals against Toronto. That incident occurred in the second period when Curl-Salemme delivered a high and forceful check on opponent Renata Fast.

Additionally, Montreal’s Sarah Lefort served a suspension in the first game of the 2024 playoffs against Boston. That suspension was handed down during the regular season.

Impact on Boston’s playoff run

The Fleet currently leads the semifinal series 1–0 after their Game One victory. However, they’ll need to navigate Game Two without one of their defensive players as they look to take a 2–0 series lead.

Boston finished the regular season with a strong record and home-ice advantage in this series. The team will need their remaining defenders to step up in MacKinnon’s absence as they pursue their first Walter Cup championship.