Ever since his breakthrough in the NHL, Arber Xhekaj has made himself known as a tough guy who loves big hits, physical plays, and to drop the gloves.
But sometimes, as he’s proven multiple times already in his short career, he’s been taking it too far. And last night, it happened again.
In the pre-season game with the Ottawa Senators, Xhekaj was ejected for a hit to the head on Tim Stutzle.
The hit occurred in the middle frame of the testy contest, in which several players were forced to leave due to injuries. Stutzle’s injury came after he had received a pass and quickly moved the puck up the ice. When he released the puck, Arber Xhekaj stepped up and laid a huge hit up high, which had Stutzle flying.
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There was no doubt that the hit was both high and late and that the young defenseman made contact with Stutzle’s head. Xhekaj was, of course, given a match penalty and ejection from the game, and now, it seems extremely likely that the DoPS will review the hit, and Xhekaj will probably have to sit out a few games due to a suspension.
Xhekaj was recently fined for going after a Toronto player who had injured Patrik Laine in an incident that will have the Finnish forward sidelined for a couple of months. The recent disciplinary punishment for Xhekaj will not help him in this case when the Department of Player Safety reviews his hit on Stutzle. You never want to see injuries to the head in hockey, especially not during the pre-season. On social media, fans were furious with Xhekaj’s high hit.
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But Paul Bissonnette, an analyst for TNT and co-host of the popular podcast Spittin’ Chiclets, didn’t seem all that angry about the hit. Instead of condemning the hit, Bissonnette simply wrote ’Choo choo’ while posting a video of it on his X page. And fans were quick to point out how terrible the hit was.
”Just because he came on your pod doesn’t mean he’s not a dirty boy, Bizzy,” one user responded.
”We’re cheering for hits to the head now?” another said.
”You’re a joke man. Blindsided hit attempt to the head and you’re praising the guy,” a third added.
”Biz pumping more tires on a elbow, what a shock,” a fourth said.
