As you know, yesterday, young Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj once again wowed the gallery and brought the Bell Centre crowd to its feet:
It's one of the most talked about sequences in the National Hockey League today.
Questioned after the game about the famous beating served by Arber Xhekaj to Zack Kassian, head coach Martin St-Louis agreed to tell us the message he has already given to his young defenseman, regarding all this:
Is Martin St-Louis talking to Arber Xhekaj about how to pick his battles (literally)?
"I've had discussions with Arber, to know that just because he's fighting doesn't mean he's going to stay in the NHL. He's got to play hockey. And he is playing hockey."
- A tweet from Kevin Vallée
Wow it's refreshing to hear an NHL head coach talk like this, and he's absolutely right. The good news is that Xhekaj is also a very interesting hockey player.
St. Louis then adds this:
On Slafkovsky's goal, Xhekaj leaves his position to complete a check.
Mr. St. Louis: "I like the defenseman to pinch, but it's a little hollow to pinch. He had an idea in his head. Those are things that as a coach, you turn your head."
- A tweet from Kevin Vallée
So St. Louis turned his head and savored the beautiful moment. We love him, our coach!