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Has Arber Xhekaj ended Zack Kassian's career? The ex-forward breaks the silence

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David St-Jean
November 13, 2023 (6:54 PM)

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Last year, in one of his early fights in the NHL, Arber Xhekaj quickly made a name for himself by completely dominating Zack Kassian. The Coyotes forward was known as one of the tough guys in the league, but he took quite a beating.

In a recent interview with the renowned Frank Seravalli, Kassian opened up about the key event that ended his career. Many believe it was Xhekaj, but it actually happened a year earlier.

Zack Kassian says he was never quite the same after being knocked out cold in a preseason fight in 2021.

"The human brain, something happens like that...it's very tough to go back to being the same player."

Indeed, during a preseason game in the 2021-22 season, Kassian and MacEwen dropped the gloves, and it ended badly for him, getting knocked out. He was never the same afterward.

This story oddly reminds us of Georges Parros with the Canadiens, where he had a severe head injury on the ice during a fight. He was never the same afterward.

Fortunately for Xhekaj, he is not responsible for Kassian's retirement, but he certainly contributed. The good news is that the forward realized it was time to retire before it was too late.

Previously on All Habs

Kent Hughes' goaltender trade: a deadline has just been moved up

Major development in the Montreal Canadiens' goaltending situation

A major trade fell through in Montreal between the Arizona Coyotes and the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2022 draft

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13 NOVEMBRE \| 384 ANSWERS Has Arber Xhekaj ended Zack Kassian's career? The ex-forward breaks the silence In your opinion, should fighting be banned in the NHL?
Yes	93	24.2 %
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