Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj fined for beating up Leafs player
The regular season is still a week and a bit away, but Montreal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj has already found himself in trouble with the NHL.
After a hot-blooded preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, one where Xhekaj laid a beating on Leafs hopeful Cedric Pare, the 23-year-old was assessed a $3,385.42 fine by NHL Player Safety.
Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj has been fined $3,385.42, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for unsportsmanlike conduct on Toronto’s Cedric Pare.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) September 29, 2024
This was not a random encounter for Xhekaj as Pare was targeted specifically for his role in a knee-on-knee collision earlier in the game that injured new Montreal star Patrik Laine. Pare was not penalized on the play and Xhekaj took matters into his own hands later on.
Arber Xhekaj unloads on Pare after he injured Laine. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lq75y4fMmN
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 28, 2024
Unlike Pare, Xhekaj was assessed a game misconduct for the play along with a five-minute fighting major and an additional instigator penalty. It was obvious that the tough-as-nails defender was not pleased with Pare.
Laine left the game and did not return. The way he hobbled off the ice did not seem encouraging and an update on his condition is expected to come sooner rather than later.
Patrik Laine goes down after a knee-on-knee contact.
Doesn't look good. He had to leave the game. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/cXrNTOzK4L
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 28, 2024
Nobody would have balked at a suspension on the play, but Xhekaj was let off the hook with a fine that doesn’t even come in at the maximum amount. Despite having a reputation as one of the toughest players in the league, Xhekaj has never been suspended in the NHL and this is the first time he has faced any kind of supplemental discipline from the league.
He did, however, get suspended twice in the OHL before arriving to the Canadiens organization in 2021.