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Since Saturday, Sept. 28, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been trending on social media. Sadly, it is not for an end-to-end rush or a lovely feed from the purpose that led to a aim.
As an alternative, the 23-year-old defender is popping up in searches for allotting some questionable hits and a retaliatory assault which resulted within the first NHL nice of the 2024-25 season, costing him $3,385.42 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
In Montreal’s latest contest towards the Ottawa Senators, Xhekaj crossed the road once more, incomes his second consecutive recreation ejection. Nonetheless, information got here out on Wednesday that he is not going to face additional self-discipline for his hit on Tom Stutzle.
Final yr, the league suspended gamers for 118 video games, with gamers forfeiting over $1.6 million in wage. In the meantime, fines totaled $223,189.22.
Though no Montreal gamers had been fined in 2023-24, two had been suspended, and relationship again to the 2022-23 season, the checklist expands to 2 fines and two extra suspensions. Let’s focus on these incidents.
Arber Xhekaj (Fantastic – $3,385.42)
Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Sept. 28, 2024
Within the first interval of a contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Canadiens, Cedric Pare collided knee-on-knee with Patrik Laine, forcing the Montreal proper winger to LTIR for 3 months.
Later within the interval, Xhekaj sought revenge for a questionable hit, getting ejected from the sport after accumulating 27 penalty minutes. His assault on Pare resulted in a nice for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Kaiden Guhle (Suspended One Recreation)
Slashing – Mar. 29, 2024 (Wage Misplaced $4,496.53)
In a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Mar. 28, 2024, the rating did not point out any tough stuff between the 2 groups since they mixed for under 24 penalty minutes.
Nevertheless, when Juraj Slafkovsky received tangled with Travis Koency in entrance of the Montreal bench, Kaiden Guhle received concerned within the play by slashing the Flyers ahead from the bench, leading to a one-game suspension.
Brendan Gallagher (Suspended 5 Video games)
Unlawful Test to the Head – Jan. 26, 2024 (Wage Misplaced $169,270.83)
The longest-tenured member of the Canadiens lineup, Brendan Gallagher, can be the final participant to obtain a five-game suspension for one of the vital questionable hits of his profession.
In a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on the Bell Centre, Adam Pelech was carrying the puck up the ice when Gallagher skated by the impartial zone and delivered a excessive hit to the Islanders’ head, leading to a five-game suspension.
Nick Suzuki (Fined $2,500)
Cross-checking – Mar. 17, 2023
It is protected to say that throughout the 2022-23 season, there was a whole lot of dangerous blood between the Florida Panthers and the Canadiens. Throughout a 9-5 win by the Panthers on Mar. 17, 2023, the visiting Canadiens imploded for 31 penalty minutes in comparison with Florida’s two.
After watching Guhle become involved with Anton Lundell within the nook, Nick Suzuki re-engaged with the Panthers ahead in entrance of the benches, getting ejected for a cross-checking main, leading to a $2,500 nice.
Mike Matheson (Fined $5,000)
Interference – Jan. 19, 2023
In one other wild contest between the Panthers and Canadiens, this time on the Bell Centre, Mike Matheson paid a $2,500 nice for stopping mid-stride and laying a backward physique verify on an unsuspecting Eric Staal.
The guests gained 6-2, whereas Montreal racked up 53 penalty minutes, led by Xhekaj (15) and David Savard (12), and the Panthers collected 37.
Juraj Slafkovsky (Suspended Two Video games)
Boarding – Nov. 8, 2022 (Wage Misplaced $10,270.28)
In a contest at Little Caesars Enviornment in Detroit, 18-year-old rookie Slafkovsky earned his first profession suspension for successful from behind to Matt Luff. Montreal collected 35 penalty minutes on the evening, with Slafkovsky accounting for 15 of them in a 3-2 shootout win.
After Luff tried to play the puck in entrance of Montreal’s bench, he fanned on it when Slafkovsky got here to hit him from behind. The worst a part of the play was how far-off Luff was from the boards when he crashed into it.
Josh Anderson (Suspended Two Video games)
Boarding – Nov. 5, 2022 (Wage Misplaced $59,459.46)
In Josh Anderson’s second season with the Canadiens, one thing snapped inside him throughout a contest towards the Vegas Golden Knights on the Bell Centre. With ten minutes left within the third interval of the 6-4 defeat, he got here flying out of the offensive zone on a mission to steamroll somebody.
That particular person was Golden Knights defender Alex Pietrangelo, who was hit from behind in entrance of his bench. After all, a scrum broke out amongst all of the gamers on the ice, and Anderson acquired a two-game ban for the boarding name.
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