This is an absolute scumbag move

In the preseason game between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, Arber Xhekaj delivered a controversial high hit on Senators’ star forward Tim Stutzle. The hit occurred after Stutzle had already released the puck, and Xhekaj was assessed a game misconduct for interference. The Senators capitalized on the ensuing power play, scoring three goals, and the incident added to rising tensions between the teams. Stutzle left the game with an upper-body injury, and the hit is likely to draw further scrutiny from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety

43 comments

  1. I wish you showed more of the video. We could have seen Xhekaj do his best Pare impression of curling up in the fetal position and crying for the refs to save him from Tkachuk.

  3. He shouldn't have even been there after punching Paré with his gloves on.

    Paré who wasn't trying to intentionally injure someone, just an unfortunate incident. Then Xhekaj goes and does a hit like this in the next game.

    All these people in the comments saying Xhekaj didn't make head contact, it's irrelevant. He just missed the head while trying to make head contact. You're acting like Xhekaj is on some great crusade to make the sport cleaner, when he's literally only in the NHL to be a dirty player for the Canadiens. Honorable players drop the gloves before punching a guy, honorable players drop the gloves to fight the guy who cheap shotted their teammate earlier in the game. They don't try to headshot a guy and get to claim innocence just because they missed.

    I'm a Hurricanes fan, rarely agree with Eck's takes. But this I'm with him on. There's no case for Xhekaj making the game cleaner, it's a good thing they sell clown noses in Canadiens colors, because we'll be seeing a lot of those at Habs games.

  5. i would agree (albeit with less pissbaby energy) if i saw any head contact

    instead of uploading emotional reactions you should stick to the cookie cutter generic stuff you're known for

  8. no head contact what so ever not even close so you got that WAY wrong as did officials for a start.
    Stutzle made a meal of it as he has done in the past. isnt Stutzles first flop on the floor n wont be his last and i like the guy he is a solid player but he dived on this

  12. Yep, at first, I thought it was dirty and to the head…but he never hit the head…it’s ottawa stick that hit him and throws the helmet off…watch a slow motion of the play….but those pre season games this year are so bad…

  15. This is legit. Dirty hit on Dach, who is a leading forward for MTL, but no punishment on Greig. So a dirty hit on one of Ott leading forward. Eye for eye, that's it. Next time think about consequences Greig. And the ref.

  17. Yea, it was cheapshot. He didn't end up connecting to Stutzle's head, thank goodness. Definitely not the best way to go about it. But again, we have some pre-season player looking for a spot on the sens roster, who takes liberties at our star fowards and then doesn't answer to an invitation to own up to it. If it was a clean big hit, I'd be ok with a player not answering the bell. But too many years have the Habs been on the receiving end of dirty hits or fights and not had an answer. Here the Habs are saying, you come after our players, if you don't own up to it, we'll go after yours. Retaliation and vengeance, those aren't the best way to go about it. But until the league actually protects its players and refs call these out correctly, dirty plays will remain and so will retaliations. Call Xhekaj dirty all you want, the team seems happy to have somebody that has their back, the coaches may not want him to go about this way but they're also happy to have players defend their teammates, and screw it I think a lot of fans are fed up of taking the shit end of the stick and are relieved we can dish it back.

  18. I'm thinking we're in for a long brutal season this year Eck. Just feels like winter is come early and I hope the league starts cracking down early on the needless bs.

    Buckle on man, I'm here with yah. 😬

  20. i don't know about this one chief, sure it looks ugly in action but was not nearly as bad as it's being painted here. did you watch the whole game or just this clip?

  21. Why are these teams bringing such aggressiveness to montreal in the preseason that should be the first question? This was not done in a vacuum nor did aber hit the head. Greig was hunting and he got hunted. Montreal cant just sit down and watch teams injure their stars when they came to play hockey. This is the preseason and they have started this.

  22. the most idiotic part of all this, wou;ld be the pee wee coach is defending this move as a hockey play……in normal motion you can clearly see the arm going up to hurt Stutzle…..the peewee coach is an idiot, and xhkuirh should be suspended at least 20 games, he's an idiot as well.

  26. Look Eck, I’m usually in your corner but there is video proof that show Xhekaj didn’t contact is head. Maybe watch a few more videos before you make your own

  31. I agree this hit is dirty, but boy, we're freakin tired of taking shit and dirty moves from other teams and losing key players. They can't get away with it anymore, it can happen to them too. I just hope Xhekaj won't be the only one to retaliate, could turn out bad for him .

  32. I don’t see how there’s so many comments saying he people talking like this wasn’t bad even if it was his own stick that hit the face arber was very clearly raising his shoulder to try and hit it himself so calm down yes it was a dirty hit

  34. Hmm, did you watch the video? It’s a clean hit but academy award winner Tim Stutzle hits himself in his face and does a Scooby Doo “Whooooaaaa” and flops backward. The play announcers are even commenting how bad the hit look but when they watch the play back they say: “oh, Stutzle hits himself.”

    They later explain the only reason Xhekaj is ejected and given a major is because if a player gets injured on an interference play, doesn’t matter if they injure themselves, the offending player is ejected.

    You can see Stutzle indicates he’s fine, he then is coached to leave the ice. It looked like he would stay on the ice, he has a tiny cut where he hit himself.

    Do better!

  36. He did notice wasn’t a big Lg fan of this at first either. But as is being pointed out. He didn’t even target or hit the head, and he was retaliating for Grieg’s hit on Dach, which actually did contact the head. And Stützle’s antics before with Gallagher. So as bad as it looks with Stützle going down as if having been shot (of course), it’s not a major. 2 for interference maybe.

  38. When the play is chippy, you better know who’s on the ice and where. The term is “head on a swivel”. Stutzle has to be more aware. I’ve never seen 5 and a game for interference. The refs are just pulling penalties out of the hat.

  41. Tbh I love this version of the habs, they all look after eachother and don’t let anything slide (dirty hits on laine and dach) arber didn’t even connect with the head, it was interference tho 😂

  43. My take is that Montreal played Mr. Nice guy for too long. Its nice to have someone lay justice when justice needs to be served. Its mean and dirty but hes not the first to do so, reeves, marchand, wilson, rempe, trouba, lucic and the list goes on. It just so happens that hes in MTL this time around so he gets more attention

Leave a Reply