Other team interested in acquiring Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj: interesting new information surfaces
PUBLICATION
Jeff Drouin
October 26, 2022 (7:23 PM)
The story of defenseman Arber Xhekaj is without a doubt a story worthy of a Hollywood movie. These are the words used by the former director of recruiting for the Canadiens, Trevor Timmins, in an interview with journalist Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
"It's a story that deserves to be in a movie."
In his 15-year career, Timmins said he's never seen a story like the new defensive darling on the Habs, and let's just say Xhekaj has had an atypical journey to say the least.
Not only did Xhekaj not get drafted by an NHL team, but he suffered the same fate in the Ontario Junior League. Eventually, the Kitchener Rangers gave him a chance to make his mark and he played 59 games in 2018-2019 at the age of 17.
The following season, he stepped up and at that point, the Habs and New York Rangers began to spy on the young athlete but in March 2020, a world event came along and dashed his chances of being drafted by an NHL team, namely the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rangers were indeed also very interested, but fortunately for us, the Canadiens were more serious and insistent.
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According to Xhekaj, if the OHL had not been interrupted by the pandemic, he could have been selected in the 2020 draft by Montreal or New York.
"If I had been able to play in the playoffs, I do think I would have been able to show my true value and maybe a team would have drafted me afterwards."
For the young man, it was a huge disappointment, but in 2021, he received an invitation to the rookie camp of the Canadiens and after impressing the senior management, Marc Bergevin gave him an NHL contract.
We know what happened next, he was without a doubt the surprise of the last training camp and now he is a regular defenseman with the Montreal Canadiens. In six games this season, he is currently the Habs' leading defensive scorer with three points, including his first career goal last Saturday against the Dallas Stars.
Truly, a story worthy of the best Hollywood movies.
To read Renaud Lavoie's complete file on Arber Xhekaj, click below. Some new information and some really interesting comments:
Previously on HabsFanatics
| POLL |
26 OCTOBRE | 306 ANSWERS Other team interested in acquiring Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj: interesting new information surfaces Will Arber Xhekaj be able to spend the whole season with the CH? |
| Yes | 256 | 83.7 % |
| No | 50 | 16.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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