Arber Xhekaj

BIOGRAPHY

Arber Xhekaj was born January 30, 2001, in Hamilton, Ontario. He is a defenseman in the NHL.

Upon entering the Canadiens' summer training, Xhekaj was initially considered more likely to earn a regular place on the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, 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. 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 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. 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. 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.