GOTTA SEE IT: Canadiens Arber Xhekaj Takes On Pat Maroon

Montreal Canadiens defenceman has not backed down from any opponent so far this season, and Pat Maroon is one tough customer.

With the tune of DMX‘s “X Gon Give It To Ya”, Arber Xhekaj continued to show why he’s one of the most exciting young personalities in the NHL.

After completing a hard, yet clean hit along the boards, he was immediately chased by Pat Maroon, who challenged him to drop the gloves and defend the honour of his fellow Tampa Bay teammate.

https://twitter.com/scottmatla/status/1604271795565207554

Not only did the Montreal Canadiens defenceman not back down, he effectively gave it to Maroon, who is one of the big heavyweights in the NHL and one of the league’s most notorious tough guys.

Throwing haymakers left and right, Xhekaj once again showed why he’s the Habs’ sherriff since joining the club this season.

He’s taken on all comers so far this season, with Luke Schenn, Nick Deslauriers, Zack Kassian and more. At no point has Xhekaj ever chosen to pick on a smaller player or needlessly chase after a fight.

The enforcers of the NHL seem to all gravitate toward him, and Arber Xhekaj isn’t one to back down from a challenge since joining the Montreal Canadiens.

Xhekaj has had himself quite the season so far, as he currently leads the NHL in goals for a rookie defenceman with four right now.

He’s also the most penalized rookie in the NHL at the moment, and has  taken part in five fights as of Saturday night.

He’s quickly burgeoning into one of the league’s most physical and punishing defenceman and is one of the biggest surprises of the season in the NHL.

By Marc Dumont

Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont