If Brady Tkachuk takes the ice against the Montreal Canadiens, he’d be wise to stay alert.
That’s the message from Habs defenseman Arber Xhekaj.
When asked about the best way to handle the Ottawa Senators’ captain ahead of their matchup following the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the 24-year-old made it clear—he’s ready for a showdown with Tkachuk.
“I’m going to confront him. I’m going to go straight to him. I’m going to beat the crap out of him. I don’t care,” Xhekaj told Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports according to Google Translate.
Cloutier later took to the social media platform X to clarify that the Google translation was inaccurate.
“I butt heads with him. I go right at him. I fire him up. I don’t care,” Cloutier reported that Xhekaj said.
Tkachuk and Xhekaj have a history.
During a pre-season matchup in October, Tkachuk went after Xhekaj following a heavy hit on center Tim Stutzle. The incident resulted in Xhekaj receiving a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
“I want to make his life (miserable),” Xhekaj added. “I want his evening to be painful. What I give him must be stronger than what he gives.”
After representing Team USA in their 3-2 overtime loss to Team Canada on Thursday in Boston, Tkachuk and defenseman Jake Sanderson were absent from practice alongside veteran blueliner Nick Jensen.
On Saturday morning, Coach Travis Green informed reporters that Tkachuk, Jensen, and Sanderson would be game-time decisions.
The Senators previously fell to the Canadiens 4-1 on October 12 in Montreal.
