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A look at Arber Xhekaj’s amazing journey to the NHL

Be Interactive

2022-10-15 12:19:23

Arber Xhekaj is 21 years old. He is a 6 foot 4 inch, 238 pound behemoth.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

This left-handed defenseman from Hamilton, Ontario has made his way to the Montreal Canadiens this season.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

This young man's journey is absolutely special and deserves to be told.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

Arber Xhekaj is said to have flown under the radar throughout his young field hockey career.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

You won't be surprised to learn that he was never drafted in the National Hockey League.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

Arber Xhekaj was instead the beneficiary of the Montreal Canadiens' flair for inviting him to their rookie camp in 2021.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

Xhekaj did so well in 2021 that the Habs invited him to their main camp.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

And to top it off, Arber Xhekaj was given a three season contract before returning to junior.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

In other words, the Montreal Canadiens asked this young man to go out and dominate Canadian junior field hockey at age 20, and then come back and continue his development.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: Twitter Nick Wanshyn

That's what he did. First with the Kitchener Rangers and then the Hamilton Bulldogs, the big defenseman had 12 goals and 22 assists in 51 regular season games.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: Facebook - CHL

In the playoffs, he was even more impressive with 6 goals and 10 assists in 18 games.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

If Arber Xhekaj was able to attract attention at the 2021 training camp, it's safe to say that the same is true in 2022. He monopolized the attention for a few days.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

His strong play has earned him praise from many. He came to the defense of teammates on a few occasions.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

Arber Xhekaj will have to be careful with this aspect of his game: he won't put his team in difficult situations by being overly enthusiastic.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: Oct 3, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj (72) during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

That being said, you have to expect this kind of thing to happen. He's only 21 years old, let's not forget that.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

Still, this former Costco employee just last year (yes, yes!) got some good words from Ben Chiarot a year ago. Is this the reason why the Habs made a commitment to him?

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: Twitter - Guillaume Lefrançois

Will Arber Xhekaj be in Montreal all season long? Injured veterans will come back sooner or later.

Arber Xhekaj, such a great story!

Credit: USA Today/IMAGN

But at the rate they've been falling in the last few weeks, the Habs will have no choice but to continue to make room for the youngsters, and Arber Xhekaj fits right in with that development!

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