Hockey

Arber Xhekaj on Martin St-Louis: “He treats me as if I were his own son”
Michaël Petit
Arber Xhekaj on Martin St-Louis: “He treats me as if I were his own son”
Credit: Getty Images

The relationship between Arber Xhekaj and Martin St-Louis is puzzling many fans. One wonders if the head coach really likes Xhekaj, since the latter has visited the press gallery on a few occasions. However, Martin St-Louis recently made it clear: he loves Arber Xhekaj. There aren't many guys like Arber. Personally, I see a few similarities between him and Sheldon Souray. Two strong left-handed defenders with a good feel for the game, a very heavy shot and who scare the hell out of opponents. Xhekaj may be more intimidating than Souray, but Souray was much better offensively. But there's only one Arber Xhekaj: he's a diamond in the rough who needs polishing. As for his relationship with MSL, Xhekaj also confirmed that things are going very well between the two. According to him, St-Louis treats him as if he were his own son, as reported by Eric Engels in an interview he obtained with the colossal Habs defenseman with Sportsnet.

Full interview to be published tomorrow morning.

“He's certainly hard on me sometimes, because he knows what I can become and what I can do and he wants it so much for me.”

–

Arber Xhekaj

Xhekaj knows that St. Louis will be intense with him on occasion, but he knows it's for his own good. The coach wants #72 to become a fearsome player who executes plays quickly, while being a solid physical defender overall.

“He believes I can aim for a bigger ceiling.”

–

Arber Xhekaj

After these comments from both parties, it's clear that there really is a good relationship between the two men. A healthy relationship between a player and his coach is worth its weight in gold, because the coach will always want the best, and having the best version of Arber Xhekaj in Montreal is something every fan dreams of, because we know he has great potential, and there are no two like him. If he can protect his team-mates, strike fear into the hearts of opponents, while still being able to contribute offensively and defensively, he can become very dangerous.

'Overtime'

– He didn't take too long.

– Auston Matthews looks forward to no more questions about Mitch Marner.

– Read on.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!