As the Montreal Canadiens battled the Vancouver Canucks in a tense showdown, all eyes were on young defenseman Arber Xhekaj—a player whose raw talent and imposing presence have made him a fan favorite, but whose recent performances have started to raise eyebrows across the league. When Xhekaj took a penalty in the second period, the reaction was swift and unforgiving. Experts and fans alike were quick to criticize, but what happened next sent shockwaves through the Canadiens’ bench.

Rumors began to swirl about head coach Martin St-Louis’s reaction to Xhekaj’s costly mistake. Whispers of frustration and tension behind the scenes only fueled speculation about what the future holds for the towering defenseman. Was this just a momentary lapse, or does it signal a deeper issue that could threaten Xhekaj’s spot in the lineup? With competition heating up and the return of key players looming, the stakes have never been higher.

But the real drama unfolded off the ice, as a long-awaited video finally surfaced—revealing St-Louis’s true feelings in a way no one expected. What did the Canadiens’ coach do, and what does it mean for Xhekaj’s future? The answers might surprise you. Read on for the full story.

Photo of Arber Xhekaj

Photo credit: NHL/Habsfanatics

During the second period of the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Vancouver Canucks, young defenseman Arber Xhekaj took a penalty.

And according to most experts, it was a very bad one:

“Awful penalty to take by Xhekaj there..”
– Karine Hains, The Hockey News

“Arber man.. you are not helping yourself with that.”
– HFTV

After that, everyone was talking about Martin St-Louis’s reaction on the Canadiens’ bench following Xhekaj’s bad penalty – but the video seemed impossible to find, so here it is!

Things are going to get heated in Martin St-Louis’s office: the Montreal Canadiens head coach seems fed up with Arber Xhekaj’s bad penalties

More and more, it feels like Xhekaj might be headed for the press box once Guhle returns. It even seems like Jayden Struble has passed him on the depth chart.

Arber Xhekaj, 24, is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound left-shot defenseman who was never drafted into the NHL.

He has 30 career points and 311 penalty minutes in 173 games played with the Montreal Canadiens.

This season, Xhekaj has 1 point in 8 games, with 11 penalty minutes (prior to tonight’s game, of course).

And you – what’s your opinion on Arber Xhekaj’s performances over the past few games?

I can’t wait to hear what Martin St-Louis has to say about it.

It’ll be interesting to see if St-Louis goes back with Xhekaj for next game against Seattle or if he will bring in Marc Del Gaizo to send the Sheriff a message.

Rest assured, we’ll have you covered with the latest updates.