NHL Department of Player Safety May Suspend Arber Xhekaj After Incident with Referee

The Original Six rivalry between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens has been one considered legendary in the history of the NHL. It's always a heated affair when both teams get together, and Sunday night was no different.

During the game, Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj accidentally struck a referee in the face during a scrum which, per NHL rules and regulations has a zero-tolerance policy.

The NHL Department of Player Safety has been busy in recent weeks dealing with suspensions, fines, and fan backlash, but they're causing headaches for themselves due to their inconsistent judgements. Xhekaj's case is going to require special attention due to the nature of the circumstances.

It's been a rough year for Xhekaj and the Canadiens. The rugged defenseman has been the subject of trade speculation, and his future with the team is in question. He's playing very minimal minutes and these types of incidents don't lead to getting more ice time.

Known primarily as a fighter, Xhekaj has two assists in 20 games this season, and only has 25 career points in 115 games. The Hamilton, Ontario native was signed by the Canadiens in 2021 as a free agent and has struggled to find consistency with his spot in the lineup and on-ice production.

It's tough to say whether or not Xhekaj is going to get any type of suspension, though given the special circumstances around it, he'll be sure to get more attention than others. Already suspended twice in the AHL, Xhekaj's history is sure to play a factor into his potential punishment.

The NHL has until 5 PM Monday in order to make a decision regarding whether to suspend Xhekaj or not.

In closing, Arber Xhekaj may not have meant to hit the referee during a scrum but he unfortuantely did and needs to pay the price for it, even if it's a game. Xhekaj has to be careful where his fists fly if he's going to want to use them so often, or he'll find himself playing even less than he already is.