DONE DEAL: Montreal Canadiens just confirm a deal worth $10.5 million….

Arber Xhekaj of Hamilton signs a two-year, $2.6 million US contract with the Montreal Canadiens
Florian, Xhekaj’s brother, inked a rookie deal with Montreal in April.
Arber Xhekaj, a defenseman, is a restricted free agent who has signed a two-year, US$2.6-million contract with the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced on Tuesday.

The tough defenseman had 44 games with Montreal in the previous campaign, scoring 10 points and scoring three goals.

The six-foot-four, 240-pound native of Hamilton topped all Canadiens defenders with 125 hits and led the team with 81 penalty minutes.

In 95 NHL games, Xhekaj has eight goals, 23 points, and 182 penalty minutes.

In 2023–24, the 23-year-old skated in 17 games for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League, recording three goals and eleven points.

When Xhejak signed an entry-level contract in October 2021, he was initially signed by the organization as an undrafted free agent.

After his career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) concluded in 2022, he signed with the Canadiens as a player for the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defeated the Windsor Spitfires in a game-seven victory to win the OHL’s J. Ross Robertson Cup. With 16 points in 18 games during the playoffs, he led all defensemen in scoring.

The NHL reported that Florian Xhekaj, 20, his brother, inked a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens in April. This season, Xhekaj was a member of the Brantford Bulldogs in the 2023–24 Ontario Hockey League. The Bulldogs are now based in Brantford while the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton is being renovated.