Arber Xhekaj punished for retaliating against Cedric Pare

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Axel Williams
September 29, 2024 (12:41)

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Arber Xhekaj laid a beatdown upon Cédric Paré last night after the Toronto Maple Leafs player injured Patrik Laine of the Montreal Canadiens.

Overall, it was a terrible knee-on-knee collision that a lot of fans have taken exception to. It looked absolutely terrible and it is easy to see why a lot of fans would be absolutely livid with the hit. Having said that, Xhekaj's retaliation was a hot topic of debate on Twitter and other social media platforms. Many felt like he deserved a massive suspension for what he did. After all, some say what he did was equal to Todd Bertuzzi's actions against Steve Moore.

Well, today, it was revealed by the department of player safety that all Xhekaj is getting is a fine. He will have to pay over $3000 for his hit, which isn't exactly a lot of money for an NHL player. Overall, this is a pretty small punishment, especially considering what some believed was the right thing to do.

At this point, the Player Safety department remains enigmatic in a way. They have been wildly inconsistent over the years and this is yet another example of that. However, if you are a Habs fan, you are likely happy to see that Xhekaj is going to remain with the team for some time. Ultimately, he is a fan favorite and the way he sticks up for his teammates is part of that.

Do you believe that Xhekaj should have been fined for this incident? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite players and teams.

Source: NHL Player Safety
Arber Xhekaj fine