Arber Xhekaj

Arber Xhekaj born January 30, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
===Amateur===
While playing minor hockey with the Hamilton Huskies, Xhekaj was known for a comparatively slight frame, and as a result he was not taken in the Ontario Hockey League's entry draft in 2017. 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. After playing with the St. Catharines Falcons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, he became of interest to the Kitchener Rangers scouting staff. They gambled on him passing through the draft in his second year of eligibility. In 2018 Xhekaj earned an invitation to the Rangers' training camp. Making the roster, he played two seasons in the OHL before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020–21 season. He was not taken in either the 2020 or 2021 NHL drafts, which augured poorly for progression into the professional ranks. However, he again received a training camp invitation, this time from the Montreal Canadiens, in advance of the 2021–22 NHL season. Xhekaj's performance impressed the team management. He signed 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 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. Among his teammates he was known as "the Sheriff." Midway through the year Xhekaj was dealt to his hometown 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 the 2022 Memorial Cup. The Bulldogs advanced to the Memorial Cup final, losing to the Saint John Sea Dogs. Xhekaj was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team for the tournament.
===Professional===
Xhekaj entered the Canadiens' summer training considered more likely to earn a regular place on the AHL affiliate Laval Rocket initially, but he continued to distinguish himself in rookie tournament and preseason play. In the preseason his aggressive physical style attracted attention from other teams, notably the Ottawa Senators. He remarked "when their whole Sens Nation is talking about me, it's pretty good. I like being the bad guy." With Mike Matheson and Joel Edmundson, 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. On 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. Xhekaj drew further headlines for winning his first fight in the NHL, against Arizona Coyotes forward Zack Kassian, one of the league's more noted pugilists. Xhekaj scored his first NHL goal in a 5–2 loss to the Dallas Stars on October 22, also recording an assist in the same game.
==Personal life==
Xhekaj's father, Arber (known as Jack), is an Albanian Kosovar, and his mother Simona is from Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. Both left their native countries in the 1990s, and first met at a hotel in Hamilton.
Xhekaj worked at a Costco in Hamilton during the COVID-19 pandemic after the 2020–21 OHL season was cancelled. Xhekaj has a younger brother, Florian, who also played in the Ontario Hockey League for the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs, and now plays for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL).
==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
OHL totals	OHL totals 	OHL totals		161 	20 	34 	54 	265 		22 	6 	10 	16 	52
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:2001 births
Category:Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) players
Category:Kitchener Rangers players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players