The NHL Has Its First Player With Last Name That Starts With X

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Arber Xhekaj to a three-year, two-way contract. With this, the NHL has its first ever played with a last name that starts with X.

The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year, two-way contract with defenseman Arber Xhekaj.#GoHabsGohttps://t.co/gfyrHR1VaF

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 4, 2021

Xhekaj, who went undrafted, was invited to participate in Montreal's rookie camp and then joined their main training camp. Thus, it's fantastic that he impressed the team enough to earn himself a contract.

Along with the announcement of the signing, the Canadiens sent Xhekaj back to juniors to play with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL for this season. During the 2019-20 season with the Rangers, he scored six goals and recorded 17 points. The 6'4" defenseman also tacked on 88 penalty minutes, so it's clear that he also plays a very physical game.

It will be intriguing to see if Xhekaj makes Montreal's roster later down the road. If he keeps showing improvement, he certainly should.