The Montreal Canadiens removed defenseman Arber
Having played his last match with the Habs on November 16, Xhekaj resumed training with the other Bleu-Blanc-Rouge players on Saturday. He suffered a hit from Ivan Barbashev, of the Vegas Golden Knights, before finding himself on the floor with an upper body problem.
For number 72, it was a second physical pitfall since his debut in the National League in 2022-2023. In February, a fight with Vincent Desharnais of the Edmonton Oilers left him with a shoulder injury and a premature end to the campaign.
In Montreal, the sturdy back totaled 47 penalty minutes in 17 games this season.
The Rocket will host the Belleville Senators on Wednesday. This will therefore possibly be a first clash in life in the AHL for Xhekaj, if head coach Jean-François Houle calls on his services.