Canadiens Xhekaj KOs Senators Prospect During Tournament

Montreal Canadiens’ defenceman Arber Xhekaj proved once again that he is a physical specimen knocking out the Ottawa Senators’ Zachary Massicotte in a fight on Sunday afternoon.

During a contest between the Canadiens and Senators at the Prospect Challenge in Buffalo, Xhekaj had stood out right from the get-go due to his punishing style and thunderous hits. Fresh out of the penalty box after another penalty for another borderline hit, Senators’ Massicotte approached Xhekaj and invited him to fight in order to reclaim the honour of his injured teammate, Viktor Lodin.

Unfortunately for Massicotte, that was not a good idea, as Xhekaj made very quick work of the Senators prospect as seen below.

Arber Xhekaj with the KO on Zachary Massicotte pic.twitter.com/zCeamWR0nd

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) September 18, 2022

Arber Xhekaj went from undrafted free agent to one of the most intriguing prospects in the Montreal Canadiens organization. The 6’4 defenceman has been a revelation this year due to his exceptional progression throughout the season; earning him praise from draft experts like Craig Button along the way. It’s not for nothing that the Hamilton Bulldogs targeted and traded for him at the OHL trade deadline last year, as the key to completing their defensive brigade.

He was the Bulldog’s top defenceman on route to an OHL Championship; scoring important goals and coming up clutch in the most important moments. This upcoming season will prove to be a very important one for the young man, as he looks to establish himself with the Laval Rocket and eventually earn a call-up to the Montreal Canadiens down the line.

Needless to say, Xhekaj has a lot of the mean and physical nature that the Montreal Canadiens’ blueline has been missing over the years. His performances during this rookie tournament are bound to raise him in the esteem of the organization as he continues to grow and develop into an NHL defenceman.