The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined Montreal Canadiens defender Arber Xhekaj $3,385.42 – the maximum allowed under the CBA – for an infraction with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare. The incident was retaliation for an awkward knee-to-knee collision that Pare delivered to Habs winger Patrik Laine, who had to be helped off the ice and is out indefinitely. Pare was not penalized for his hit on Laine, while Xhekaj received a minor roughing penalty, 10-minute instigating misconduct, and game misconduct for fighting. Both incidents occurred in the game’s first period.
This, surprisingly, marks the first run-in with the DoPS for the enforcer Xhekaj, though he received numerous suspensions during his days in the OHL for blindside hits and instigating fights. That’s the hard-nosed style he’s leaned into early into his pro career, recording a staggering 182 penalty minutes across his first 95 NHL games. That includes 101 penalty minutes in 51 games as a rookie, a penalty-per-game average similar to what players like Kevin Bieksa and Colton Orr managed in their first seasons. Xhekaj hasn’t offset those penalties with much scoring, netting just 23 points across his NHL career – though he did manage a more stout 11 points in 17 AHL appearances last year.
Xhekaj will look to translate that production – and after this fine, likely more poise – into a full year with the Canadiens this year. He’s currently in competition with players like Jayden Struble and Kaiden Guhle for a spot on Montreal’s third-pair, though could end up the de facto seventh man thanks to his typecast as a bruiser. The Canadiens could use all the physical presence that they can get this year, as they anticipate a lineup potentially featuring all of Lane Hutson, Alex Newhook, Joshua Roy, and Nick Suzuki.
