# Arber Xhekaj

Arber Xhekaj (Albanian: Arbër Xhekaj, pronounced /dʒækaɪ/, jak-EYE, born January 30, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally undrafted by teams in the NHL, he signed as an unrestricted free agent with Montreal in October 2021.

## Playing career
### Amateur

While playing minor hockey with the Hamilton Huskies of ALLIANCE Hockey, Xhekaj was known for having a comparatively slight frame, and, as a result, was not selected in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) 2017 Priority Selection draft. He was one of only two eligible players on his team who were not taken, which he called "pretty tough." Despite contemplating ending his hockey career, he was encouraged to continue by his parents.

### Junior

During his time with the St. Catharines Falcons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), Xhekaj drew the interest of the Kitchener Rangers scouting staff. Although not drafted in his second year of major junior eligibility, Xhekaj earned an invitation to the Rangers' training camp in 2018. He made the roster and played two seasons in the OHL before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020–21 season.
Following non-selection in both the 2020 and 2021 NHL drafts, Xhekaj received a training camp invitation from the Montreal Canadiens before the 2021–22 NHL season. Xhekaj's performance impressed team management, and he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens on October 4, 2021, as an undrafted free agent.
Xhekaj remained with the Rangers at the beginning of the 2021–22 season, acquiring a reputation as a dangerous defenceman who was described by The Hockey News as having "effectively blended the old-school 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. Amongst his teammates, he was known as "the Sheriff." Midway through the year, Xhekaj was traded to his hometown-based Hamilton Bulldogs. Joining a highly touted Bulldogs team, Xhekaj participated in their J. Ross Robertson Cup victory in the 2022 OHL playoffs and played in that year's Memorial Cup tournament. Hamilton would advance to the championship game, before ultimately being defeat by host Saint John Sea Dogs. For his performance, Xhekaj was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.

### Professional

Upon entering the Canadiens' summer training, Xhekaj was initially considered more likely to earn a regular place on American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, but continued to distinguish himself in rookie tournament and preseason play. In the ensuing preseason, his aggressive physical style attracted attention from opposing teams' fans, notably the Ottawa Senators. In response, he stated, "when their whole Sens Nation is talking about me, it's pretty good. I like being the bad guy."
With injuries to veteran leftsided defencemen Mike Matheson and Joel Edmundson, additional openings were created for rookies to make the Canadiens lineup. On October 10, 2022, it was confirmed that Xhekaj had made the team's opening night roster ahead of the 2022–23 regular season. Upon making his NHL debut, he became the first player in league history to have a surname beginning with the letter X. Xhekaj earned the nickname "Wi-Fi" from his teammates due to the underlying spelling of same being perceived as similar to a default password programmed onto an internet router. He picked up his first career NHL point, an assist, on October 15 versus the Washington Capitals and drew further headlines shortly thereafter for winning his first fight in the NHL against Arizona Coyotes forward Zack Kassian, one of the league's more noted enforcers. Later that same month, Xhekaj scored his first career NHL goal in a 5–2 loss to the Dallas Stars on October 22, also recording an assist in the same game. On February 12, 2023, he sustained a shoulder injury effectively ending his rookie campaign. In 51 games with the Canadiens, Xhekaj recorded five goals and eight assists, and led the team in penalty minutes (PIM) with 101.
Resuming play to start the 2023–24 season, Xhekaj once again sustained an upper-body injury on November 17, 2023, and missed seven games. Upon reactivation from the injured reserve list in early December, the Canadiens assigned him to the Rocket for part of the 2023–24 AHL season. He was initially tasked with working on his defensive game while in Laval and was soon paired with rookie blueliner Logan Mailloux, collectively playing a key role in the Rocket's surge up the league standings. After appearing in 17 AHL games, recording three goals and eight assists over that span, Xhekaj was recalled to Montreal on January 22, 2024. On April 9, it was announced that Xhekaj would undergo season-ending surgery due to injury sustained in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning a few days prior. In 44 games with the Canadiens during his sophomore NHL campaign, he recorded three goals and seven assists.
As a restricted free agent following season's end, Xhekaj was tenured a qualifying offer by the Canadiens on June 30, 2024. A month later, he signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract extension. Entering play for the 2024–25 season, Xhekaj would be involved in an incident with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare during a preseason game on September 29, 2024 where he would be assessed a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Shortly thereafter, he skated in his 100th career NHL game on October 17.

## Personal life

Arber’s father, Jack, is Albanian from Drenas, Kosovo, and his mother, Simona, is from the Czech Republic. Both left their native countries in the 1990s amongst political conflict, and first met at a hotel in Hamilton. He has a younger brother, Florian, who plays for the Laval Rocket, and was selected 101st overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 NHL entry draft.
Following the cancellation of the 2020–21 OHL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Xhekaj worked at a Costco in the Hamilton area.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2017–18 | St. Catharines Falcons | GOJHL | 46 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 110 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| 2018–19 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 59 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 39 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019–20 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 51 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 18 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Hamilton Bulldogs | OHL | 33 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 84 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 50 |
| 2022–23 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 51 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 44 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | Laval Rocket | AHL | 17 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 95 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 182 | — | — | — | — | — |

## Awards and honours

| Awards | Year |
| OHL |||
| J. Ross Robertson Cup champion | 2022 |
| Third All-Star Team | 2022 |
| CHL |||
| Memorial Cup All-Star Team | 2022 |