Scott Radley: Homegrown ‘beast’ leads Bulldogs to 5-2 Game 1 playoff win over Peterborough Petes
There wasn't a ton of fanfare around here when the Hamilton Bulldogs traded for Arber Xhekaj shortly after New Year's. Despite being a Hamilton guy who grew up just a few blocks from Tim Hortons Field, he simply wasn't all that well known.
That's not totally surprising. Big, thumping defencemen who've never been drafted by an OHL team or NHL team are hardly household names. Especially when that name is tough for people to figure out how to pronounce.
But nearly four months later as the black and gold begin what they hope will be a long playoff run with a trophy or two at the end, there's a solid case to be made that as the games become more physical and more intense, he's the most important skater on the team. A 21-year-old absolutely built for playoff hockey.
He's built for NHL playoff hockey," says head coach Jay McKee.
If this wasn't clear before the Bulldogs opened their playoffs on Thursday, it certainly was after their 5-2 Game 1 win over the Peterborough Petes.
After a ragged first period in which his side looked a little off kilter, it was Xhekaj who opened the scoring which seemed to settle everyone down. He threw his body around and carried himself with an edge as he always does. He was all over the ice.
But his piece de resistance? That came in the second period when the Petes broke in on a two-on-nothing breakaway and he caught up from way behind and broke up the scoring chance.
It was nothing but effort. Just a moment of post-season perfection.
These two teams are worlds apart in talent. The Bulldogs finished 43 points ahead of the visitors in the regular season.
It was clear right off the bat that the Petes recognize this and want to cancel the skill gap by being physical and mucking things up. Make it gritty.
Which is Arber Xhekaj hockey.
I love that," he says of the rougher style. When games are like that, that's what I live for and what I play hockey for. It's everything to me."
That's somehow not surprising.
Every team in the league would want a hulking defenceman who can skate, carry a huge workload and make a positive impact. And be terrifying if he needs to be. He does all that. He is a load, which is said in the most complimentary way.
But he's also good with the puck. Being the league's penalty minute leader doesn't mean he can't play.
Hamilton has terrific forward depth. Probably better than any other team. They have outstanding goaltending. And their D is excellent.
Yet, their secret weapon is a six-foot-four, 225-pound, homegrown Bishop Ryan alum with an Auston Matthews moustache and ticket stubs from the 2018 OHL championship when he was sitting in the stands cheering for his hometown team. Never thinking he's one day be playing for that organization.
Not too many other teams have someone like him. Just ask his coach.
McKee was once a pretty decent NHL defenceman who could throw his weight around. So he knows something about physical play.
I ran into him in practice one day," he says. I bounced off him. So I couldn't imagine being a 160 or 170-pound junior and having to run into him. He's a beast out there."
Oh, and remember when we mentioned the Bulldogs have only lost four games since the calendar turned? Turns out that lines up exactly with when Xhekaj arrived.
It's not a coincidence.
Scott Radley is a Hamilton-based columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sradley@thespec.com