Fan Favourite Arber Xhekaj Shares His Thoughts on Being Sent Down to the AHL
Arber Xhekaj was recently sent down to the minors by the Montreal Canadiens, and he opened up about his feelings towards the decision in a recent interview.
Xhekaj Was Suprised To Be Sent to AHL But Sees Why the Decision Was Made
Arber Xhekaj has made a name for himself in the NHL for being one of the toughest young defensemen in the League. He's taken on just about anyone who is willing, and often comes out on top.
Now Xhekaj and Smith fight. Xhekaj has a few words for Smith afterwards.
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reminder that pat maroon lost a fight to rookie arber xhekaj 😌
Ryan Reaves vs. Arber Xhekaj
However, this wasn't enough to keep him up and playing with the Canadiens, as he was recently sent down to the Minors to continue his development. Xhekaj has just 3 points in the 17 games he has played this year with the Canadiens with a plus-one rating. He was a bit surprised to hear he was being sent down, however, he understood it from the Canadiens' perspective.
Arber Xhekaj on the #Habs decision to send him to the AHL:
«It was a little bit of a surprise it made sense from their point. They just want to see me play a lot of minutes and develop my game.»
«It was a little bit of a surprise it made sense from their point. They just want to see me play a lot of minutes and develop my game.»
Demotion to AHL Part of the Process of Development
Being sent to the Minors is a regular process, and Xhekaj is a true professional for understanding that and looking to develop his game. Canadiens Head Coach Martin St. Louis also thinks this is just a part of the normal NHL development process.
#Habs Martin St-Louis on what Arber Xhekaj needs to focus on while down in Laval: "just be a pro, just work. You guys are making a bigger deal out of this; he's a young player, it's part of his process to reach the highest ceiling he's going to reach as a professional athlete."
Hopefully, for fans and Xhekaj himself, he will make quick work of his development in the AHL and will make his return to the Canadiens sooner rather than later.
As seen on Markerzone - "Beloved Enforcer Arber Xhekaj Comments on Being Sent to the AHL"
| POLL | ||
5 DECEMBRE | 411 ANSWERS Fan Favourite Arber Xhekaj Shares His Thoughts on Being Sent Down to the AHL Do you think Xhekaj will return to the NHL this year? | ||
| Yes | 325 | 79.1 % |
| No | 86 | 20.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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