The NHL fines Arber Xhekaj for his beatdown on Cedric Pare
Arber Xhekaj has paid the ultimate price, for his Todd Bertuzzi style beatdown of Maple Leafs defenseman Cedric Pare.
The beatdown happened, after Pare went knee-to-knee with Patrik Laine, while we have no idea of the severity, Laine was helped off the ice. He was the second Canadiens player to leave the ice that night!
Xhekaj had enough of the Maple Leafs antics, the enforcer would channel old-school hockey players, like Bertuzzi to lay into rookie defenseman Cedric Pare. He'd sneak attack Pare and would land shot after shot before officials would end the conflagration.
Pare was taken aback by the retaliation from Xhekaj, but wouldn't react as it could end up with him ending up with a penalty along with Xhekaj.
The enforcer, Xhekaj would receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and 17 PIMs for his actions.
In a surprise turn of events, he wouldn't be fined the CBA Maximum for the outburst but would receive a fine of $3,385.42 for his troubles.
This is a surprising fine, because not only could the altercation result in a life-changing injury for a player involved in a situation like this, but it does seem a minuscule punishment for the enforcer.
This fine is chump change for Xhekaj, who recently signed a 2-year, $2.6 Million contract. It won't make a dent in his bank account, and while no one is calling for his neck there should be a major punishment for an incident like this. Attacking a defenseless player is something an enforcer shouldn't be proud of.
Pare was a recent signing by the Maple Leafs, as a purely depth move. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2017 in the 6th round and has yet to find a home in the NHL. Instead, he's bounced around the AHL and ECHL but did have a successful junior career with the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, with 137 points( 54 G, 83 A) in two seasons with the team.
The Punishment may not be suitable for the crime he's committed, but it's good to see the NHL not overlook this sort of penalty. While he did make his point, the NHL is committed to making sure there's some justice here.
Both teams will meet again on October 9th, as the rivalry fires up again, and undoubtedly, there should be no love lost between the clubs.
Source: Hockey patrol
September 29, 2024 ' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The NHL fines Arber Xhekaj for his Todd Bertuzzi-esque beatdown of Maple Leafs Cedric Pare
