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Arber Xhekaj Speaks Out on How Canadiens Coach Treats Him

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 8:30 AM ET

Arber Xhekaj and Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis seem to understand each other finally after what began as a rocky relationship last season.

Xhekaj played a career-high 70 games last season, finishing with one goal, six points, 180 hits and 118 penalty minutes. Known as a physical player, he also earned a minus-13 rating while working to improve his defensive positioning. He is entering the final year of his two-year, $2.6 million contract.

In an interview with Sportsnet's Eric Engels, the 24-year-old defenseman admitted that St. Louis has pushed him hard but in a way that has earned his respect.

“He treats me like I’m his son,” Xhekaj said. “He’s definitely hard on me sometimes because he knows what I can be and what I can do, and he wants it so badly for me. Obviously, he’s going to be hard on me sometimes, and sometimes he’s going to praise me. It’s a strong bond we have.”

Had such an interesting conversation with Arber Xhekaj yesterday. Here’s a snippet of it, specific to his relationship with Martin St. Louis.
Will detail the rest of it in a feature on Xhekaj @Sportsnet tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/0WoBdvr7xw
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) September 21, 2025

St. Louis, who was blunt last fall about the defender’s slow start and inconsistencies, said he has seen growth in how Xhekaj approaches his role.

“He can do way more than fight,” St. Louis said on the "Missin Curfew" podcast in June. “People call him 'The Sheriff' in Montreal; he’s very good at that, but there’s a lot of other stuff that he’s good at as well.”

The coach added that Xhekaj has learned not to chase hits every shift, focusing instead on reading plays and defending effectively by positioning himself better rather than always chasing contact.

“When he first came in, he felt that he had to do that, but we try to remind him that it’s part of the game, but you’ve got to play the game that’s in front of you as well,” St. Louis said.

Despite trade rumors and a healthy scratch early last year, both player and coach emphasized they value the relationship and look to be in a much better position with regard to their relationship entering the 2025-26 season.

Xhekaj credited St. Louis with teaching him lessons on and off the ice, while St. Louis reiterated that his tough approach is aimed at developing the young blueliner into a reliable defender.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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