Here’s a video in which Cole Caufield confirms that Arber Xhekaj is indeed the Sheriff.

This week, Martin St-Louis’ comments about Arber Xhekaj got people talking.

After the defenseman’s fine performance against the Buffalo Sabres, the Habs coach told reporters at his press briefing that “nobody” in the dressing room refers to Xhekaj as the Sheriff. It caused quite a stir, because St-Louis found a way to make a less complimentary comment about Xhekaj, even though he’d just played his best game of the season.

That said, Martin Lemay released an (old) clip yesterday on his show (BPM Sports) that’s absolutely worth sharing.

In said clip, we hear Cole Caufield talk about his teammate… And Caufield openly says that the guys like to call him “The Sheriff” because Xhekaj likes to think he’s “the man” on the rink :

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I feel like Martin St-Louis is making a big deal out of Arber’s nickname.

The coach may want the kid to stop playing the star off the ice and focus on his game… But at a certain point, we’re just talking about a nickname.

If Xhekaj had posted a video of himself handling coke, things would be different… #AdamRuzicka

But right now, whether he calls himself “the Sheriff” or Xhekaj or WiFi or whatever… I hope we can agree that it’s okay.

I don’t want to go back over what happened, but St-Louis missed an opportunity to focus on the positive of a guy who had just had a nasty good game.

The coach said he liked his defender’s game, and that’s fine. But his comments about the young man’s nickname weren’t necessarily necessary.

It’s as if Arber Xhekaj himself had proclaimed himself to be the Sheriff, you know… and that nickname has stuck with him since he was a junior.

In gusto

– Wow!

– That would really surprise me.

– Seems like a bad time to talk about the Coyotes. No?

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong’s trade deadline plan, plus rumblings on the Caps, Preds and Blackhawks. My latest for@TheAthletic https://t.co/5zGclnmp8B

– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 23, 2024

– Still. Meanwhile, in the NHL…