In the vast landscape of the NHL, player nicknames often take on a life of their own.

But among the myriad of monikers, one stands out as particularly witty and fitting – "WiFi," the nickname for Montreal Canadiens' rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj.

This nickname not only tickles the funny bone but also carries with it a clever and endearing backstory.

Born on January 30, 2001, Arber Xhekaj is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who proudly dons the colors of the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL. His on-ice talents have garnered attention, but it's his unusual last name that has truly taken center stage.

Xhekaj's surname, a string of letters that might seem as if they've been arranged by a particularly perplexing word scramble, inspired his teammates to dub him "WiFi." This creative and playful nickname cleverly draws a parallel between his complex last name and the familiar sight of a WiFi router's default password – a seemingly random assortment of characters.

It was NHL analyst Eric Engels who brought the amusing tale to light. Engels reported that Chris Wideman, Xhekaj's teammate, was the first to initiate the moniker, and it quickly caught on with the rest of the roster.

In an October 2022 exchange between Engels and Xhekaj, the humorous origin of the nickname was further highlighted. Engels playfully suggested that Xhekaj needed to devise a more imaginative nickname for another teammate (Juraj Slafkovsky), to which Xhekaj responded with his ongoing efforts. Engels then inquired about Xhekaj's own nickname and the revelation was met with laughter.

Eric : What's yours (nickname)? 'X?' Xhekaj: Yeah, and some guys call me 'Wifi' Eric : Oh? Xhekaj: You know how a wifi password usually looks something like my last name? Eric : Now that's creative!

More on Arber Xhekaj's personal life

Arber Xhekaj's father, Arber (often referred to as Jack), hails from Albanian Kosovo, while his mother, Simona, is a native of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic.

Their paths intertwined when they both left their home countries in the 1990s, ultimately meeting at a hotel in Hamilton.

Xhekaj has a younger sibling, Florian, who was chosen as the 101st overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens during the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

This marks a significant achievement for the Xhekaj family, as both brothers embark on their respective journeys within the world of professional ice hockey.

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