Arber Xhekaj didn’t have a perfect match in Gander, this small town in Newfoundland and Labrador. There were some turnovers, questionable puck decisions and two poor penalties, but he once once more found a way to get people talking.
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Never drafted, Xhekaj understood a principle. If the door is closed, you have to break it down. He has this rare attitude, that of a player who will never back down to achieve his dream.
At 21 years old and on the eve of his first season as a professional, the big defender of 6 ft 4 in and 238 lb has already won his bet. He dangerously complicates the plans of Martin St-Louis, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton regarding him.
Francis Bouillon had predicted before the start of the rookie tournament in Buffalo that he would need mileage in the American League with the Laval Rocket. This is still probably the most logical destination to allow him to grow up quietly.
But Xhekaj has a card up his sleeve that no other defender on the team can have. He’s physically intimidating, he loves the physical game, and he has a knack for quickly becoming the other team’s enemy.
Against Watson
In the first of two preseason games in the Atlantic provinces, Xhekaj knocked down center Tim Stützle with a shoulder shot in front of Cayden Primeau’s net. He also defended his teammate Kirby Dach, another big guy, who had just been hit by Auston Watson.
We will not glorify violence in hockey. But as long as fighting is allowed, a player like Xhekaj can make a rival think.
Watson, 30, has 407 NHL games and has never been recognized for his scoring skills with 489 penalty minutes. Despite this, Xhekaj never wavered. As soon as he saw Dach on the ground behind the net, he engaged the Senators winger. A fight that the 21-year-old, who has still not played a match with the pros, won.
Le cas Brady Tkachuk
The scene remained fascinating. After last Tuesday’s 5-4 loss at the Bell Center once morest the Senators, Xhekaj spent long minutes in the team’s locker room. With a handful of journalists, including the author of these lines and Marc-André Perreault of TVA Sports, the Ontarian told how he felt regarding the idea of squabbling with the captain, Brady Tkachuk.
“I think it’s great, it’s incredible, he replied. First, it means that a star player like Tkachuk knows my name if he takes the time to insult me. It’s a sign that I’m doing my job. It doesn’t bother me in the least.”
After that game in Gander, DJ Smith was not a happy man. The Sens head coach told reporters on site that he didn’t like some CH players targeting his best players. Yes, he had on his heart the blow of Josh Anderson once morest Stützle at the end of the meeting, but he also had to think of Xhekaj.
Once once more, the 21-year-old defender did his job. He disturbs. He talks regarding himself. He earns points. And it’s getting closer to Montreal.