In the fall of 2021, Arber Xhekaj participated in his very first training camp with the Montreal Canadiens. He had impressed so much that he earned his first entry-level NHL contract, a contract he signed on Oct. 4, 2021.
At the time, Luke Richardson was still in the organization and acting as the defenseman coach. It was he who suggested to the management to offer a contract to the young defender, and the player had been so good that the coach wanted to see him start the year in the American League, instead of going to play with guy “his age” in the junior.
Richardson therefore believed that Xhekaj, who was 20 at the time, was ready to make the jump to the pros. It is important to emphasize this point because it is quite a big statement.
Luke Richardson about Arber Xhekaj, whom he coached at the 2021 camp: “I had suggested to the management (of the Canadian) to give him a contract this fall so that he plays in the American League. He was that good.”
— Guillaume Lefrançois (@glefrancoisLP) November 24, 2022
“Wow”. This is the first word that came out of my mouth when I read the tweet above from Guillaume Lefrançois (La Presse).
We knew the organization liked him a lot, but not that much. That says a lot about how the team leaders viewed him when he was just starting out in an NHL camp. Recall that he had also been invited to the Florida Panthers camp that year.
And these comments are even more impressive since they come from the mouth of the former defenders coach in Montreal.
In the end, the organization preferred to send him to the junior so that he could continue his development. If you take a step back almost 14 months later, you realize that was probably the best decision to make.
Because today Xhekaj is playing in the NHL and the youngster has achieved the feat without even playing a single small game in the American League. He’s not necessarily immune to being fired down since the Canadiens currently have eight healthy defensemen who can play, but what he’s been doing with the team since the start of the season has the merit of be underlined.
And in all honesty, it would be a bit surprising to see him be transferred to Laval considering the fact that he is probably one of the only ones who brings the element of robustness so much sought after in the formation of the CH.
That said, it’s cool to see that the organization believed in him from day one and that’s a credit to the player. Now it’s up to him to continue to prove that he deserves his place in the Montreal defensive squad as there have been certain expectations placed on him since the organization signed him last year.
A lot of
– Patrick Kane had good comments about his former teammate, Kirby Dach.
Patrick Kane sur Kirby Roof:
“It’s hard to arrive in the league at 18-19, as the 3rd overall choice. Expectations are high. When you play on a 4th line, you don’t play as much as you should. He showed a lot of potential, but was in a difficult role.
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) November 24, 2022
Patrick Kane sur Kirby Roof:
“We are happy for him. He had a difficult role with us, on a 3rd or 4th line. When he played in an attacking role, he was successful. I liked playing with him, he created space for me on the rink.@RDSca
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) November 24, 2022
– It’s normal, hehe.
Luke Richardson is happy with the success of the Canadian at the start of the season. He is still in contact with the coaches, including Martin St-Louis.
“I wish them the best, except tomorrow! I will be happy to shake their hands as the winner of the match! » ????@RDSca
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) November 24, 2022
– Nice gesture.
Canadians are saddened to learn of the passing of Börje Salming and wish to offer their condolences to his family and to the Maple Leafs organization.
He was an exceptional player and a great human being, and he will forever be etched in our memories. pic.twitter.com/P4spmrMAVC
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) November 24, 2022
– Nice radio moment.
The Canadian midfielder and captain of the @cfmontreal, @samuelpiette, calls us in the middle of a live broadcast from Qatar. ????
To listen to the complete interview of Samuel and his mother Linda with @JiCLajoie ➡️ https://t.co/QmcTUgdH2m pic.twitter.com/7KoRtDtPmp
— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) November 24, 2022
– Flower is back.
The #mnwild has activated G Marc-André Fleury ???? from Injured Reserve and reassigned G Zane McIntyre to the @IAWild.
The Wild hosts the @MapleLeafs Friday at 1 pm on @BallySportsNOR and @KFAN1003.
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) November 24, 2022
– Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans.
Amon-Ra making sure his offense stays fed ???? #MaddenThanksgiving @amonra_stbrown
????: #BUFvsDET on CBS
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/rs1CGFUmVT pic.twitter.com/eIDFd81SGn— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2022