Arber Xhekaj ( al, Arbër Xhekaj,
pronounced , ,
born January 30, 2001) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player for the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL).
Playing career
Amateur
While playing
minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...
with the Hamilton Huskies of
Alliance Hockey, Xhekaj was known for having a comparatively slight frame, and as a result he was not selected in the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...
(OHL)
2017 OHL Priority Selection draft. He was one of only two eligible players on his team who were not drafted, which he called "pretty tough." Despite contemplating ending his hockey career, he was encouraged to continue by his parents.
While playing with the
St. Catharines Falcons of the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), Xhekaj drew the interest of the
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...
scouting staff. They did not draft him in his second year of eligibility, but in 2018, Xhekaj earned an invitation to the Rangers'
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...
.
He made the roster and played two seasons in the OHL before the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
cancelled the
2020–21 season.
Xhekaj was not selected in either the
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
or
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
NHL drafts. Ahead of the
2021–22 NHL season, he received a training camp invitation from the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
. Xhekaj's performance impressed the team management.
He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens on October 4, 2021, as an undrafted free agent.
Xhekaj resumed play with the Rangers for the
2021–22 season, acquiring a reputation as a dangerous defenceman who was described by ''
The Hockey News
''The Hockey News'' (''THN'') is a Canadian-based ice hockey magazine. ''The Hockey News'' was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote and has since become the most recognized hockey publication in North America. The magazine has a readers ...
'' as having "effectively blended the old-school
enforcer
Enforcer or enforcers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Comics
* Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character
* Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team
* New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team
Film and television
* ''The Enforcer ...
with the modern-day defensive blueliner."
He was suspended twice in the fall, once for a slew foot and once for a gesture made after a fight.
Among his teammates he was known as "the Sheriff." Midway through the year, Xhekaj was traded to his hometown
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 OHL season, 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Cent ...
.
Joining a highly-touted Bulldogs team, Xhekaj participated in their
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...
victory in the 2022 OHL playoffs and played in the
2022 Memorial Cup
The 2022 Memorial Cup (branded as the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia for sponsorship reasons) was a four-team round-robin format ice hockey tournament held at TD Station in Saint John, New Brunswick from June 20–29, 2022. It was the 102nd ...
. The Bulldogs advanced to the Memorial Cup final, losing to the
Saint John Sea Dogs
The Saint John Sea Dogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team was founded as an expansion team in 2005 and play at TD Station in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Sea Dogs became the first tea ...
.
Xhekaj was named to the
Memorial Cup All-Star Team
The Memorial Cup All-Star Team is an annual selection of the best players at the Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in ...
for the tournament.
Professional
Upon entering the Canadiens' summer training, Xhekaj was initially considered more likely to earn a regular place on the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Laval Rocket
The Laval Rocket (french: Rocket de Laval) are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) as an affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Montreal Canadiens. Based in Laval, Quebec, Canada, the Rocket play th ...
, but he continued to distinguish himself in rookie tournament and preseason play.
In the preseason, his aggressive physical style attracted attention from opposing teams' fans, notably the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
.
[ In response, he stated, "when their whole Sens Nation is talking about me, it's pretty good. I like being the bad guy."][
With ]Mike Matheson
Michael Matheson (born February 27, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Matheson was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the first round, 23rd overall, of the 2 ...
and Joel Edmundson
Joel Edmundson (born June 28, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes.
Gr ...
, the Canadiens' two veteran left defencemen, both injured in the preseason, additional openings were created for rookies to make the lineup. On October 10, 2022, it was confirmed that Xhekaj had made the Canadiens' opening night roster for the regular season. Upon making his NHL debut on October 12, Xhekaj became the first player in NHL history to have a surname beginning with the letter X. He picked up his first NHL point, an assist, in an October 15 game against the Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
. Xhekaj drew further headlines for winning his first fight in the NHL against Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
forward Zack Kassian
Zack Adam Kassian (born January 24, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). During his junior career, he won a Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires in 2010. Selected 13t ...
, one of the league's more noted pugilists. Xhekaj scored his first NHL goal in a 5–2 loss to the Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...
on October 22, also recording an assist in the same game. Xhekaj earned the nickname "Wi-Fi" from his teammates in reference to his complex surname being similar to an internet router's default password. Xhekaj's debut season came to an end when he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury on February 12, 2023. In 51 games with the Canadiens, he recorded five goals and eight assists, and led the team in penalty minutes with 101.
Personal life
Xhekaj's father, Arber (known as Jack), is an Albanian Kosovar, and his mother Simona is from Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
, Czech Republic. Both left their native countries in the 1990s, and first met at a hotel in Hamilton.
Xhekaj worked at a Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation (doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores (warehouse club). As of 2022, Costco i ...
in Hamilton during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
after the 2020–21 OHL season was cancelled.[ Xhekaj has a younger brother, Florian, who was selected 101st overall by the ]Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Career statistics
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xhekaj, Arber
2001 births
Living people
Canadian people of Albanian descent
Canadian people of Czech descent
Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) players
Ice hockey people from Hamilton, Ontario
Kitchener Rangers players
Montreal Canadiens players
Undrafted National Hockey League players