Arber Xhekaj: Why He’s Called ‘WiFi’, Salary, and Future

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj went from undrafted junior free agent to NHL fan favourite in less than three seasons, earning a two-year, $2.6 million bridge contract in July 2024. Along the way, he picked up the league’s most creative nickname—Wi‑Fi—and set himself up as a key piece of Montreal’s blue line. This article traces how he got there, what his contract means, and why two nicknames tell the story of his game.

Last checked: 2026-07-16

Name: Arber Xhekaj · Position: Defenceman · Team: Montreal Canadiens (NHL) · Born: January 30, 2001 (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)

Why do they call Arber Xhekaj Wi‑Fi?

The nickname “Wi‑Fi” came from teammates during Xhekaj’s first NHL season. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said teammate Chris Wideman coined it because the spelling of Xhekaj — a sequence of letters that looks like a random default router password — struck the locker room as funny. The moniker stuck quickly across league media. A 2022 NHL.com feature called it “the league’s most creative nickname.”

But Xhekaj himself did not grow up as “Wi‑Fi.” In junior hockey with the Kitchener Rangers and Hamilton Bulldogs, he was known as “The Sheriff” — a name he earned by defending teammates. A press release from his marketing partners in October 2023 framed the burger partnership with La Chambre restaurants as a reintroduction of his “real nickname.” French-language coverage, including French Wikipedia, lists both “le shérif” and “WiFi” as his identified nicknames, though Francophone sources tend to emphasize the former.

What ethnicity is Xhekaj?

Arber Xhekaj is of Albanian descent. His surname is of Albanian origin, a detail that often surprises fans encountering the spelling for the first time.

How do you pronounce Xhekaj in English?

The surname is pronounced SHECK-eye. The “Xh” in Albanian corresponds to an English “Sh” sound, while the “aj” is pronounced like “eye.” That phonetic match — SHECK-eye sounding very close to “Wi‑Fi” — is the entire basis of the nickname.

Is Arber Xhekaj any good?

Xhekaj is an undrafted defenceman who cracked the NHL roster through a free-agent signing — a rare path. In the 2023‑24 season he played 44 games, scoring 3 goals and 7 assists (10 points) with a team‑best +6 plus‑minus rating, according to NHL.com. He also logged 81 penalty minutes, placing him among the league’s more physical defenders. ESPN reported that his combination of penalty minutes and production made him a useful — if niche — asset.

Scouting profiles consistently label him a “physical, defensive defenceman.” He rejects the “goon” label and prefers “protector,” a stance that influences both his playing style and his contract negotiations, as Canada Scene noted. His underlying numbers, however, show room for growth: his relative possession metrics were slightly below team average in 2023‑24, and he was deployed mostly in a third‑pairing role.

How much does Arber Xhekaj make?

Xhekaj’s current contract, signed July 30, 2024, is a two‑year, $2.6 million deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.3 million, as confirmed by NHL.com. The Spotrac database lists the contract as fully guaranteed. It runs through the 2025‑26 season, after which he will be a restricted free agent at age 25.

What is happening with Arber Xhekaj?

Xhekaj enters the 2024‑25 season as a restricted free agent (RFA) under his new bridge contract. The deal keeps him under team control through age 25, giving Montreal flexibility. Analysts at A Winning Habit described the agreement as “team‑friendly” because Xhekaj will still be an RFA when it expires, preserving the Canadiens’ leverage.

Off the ice, his Instagram following of 226,000 makes him one of the most‑followed Canadiens rookies in recent memory. Local businesses have taken notice: La Chambre restaurants launched “The Sheriff” burger in his honour. His brother, also a hockey prospect, has been mentioned in media, though details remain limited to public records.

“Teammates, in fact, have given Xhekaj the incredible nickname ‘Wi‑Fi.’”

— NHL.com feature writer