NHL Debut: Florian Xhekaj (Nov. 22, 2025)

Florian Xhekaj is set to make his NHL debut tonight with the Montreal Canadiens. Through 16 games this season with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, he has registered four points (2G, 2A) and 44 penalty minutes. As a rookie last year, he finished with 35 points (24G, 11A) in 69 games and led the league with 175 penalty minutes. He’ll suit up alongside his older brother, Arber Xhekaj, when the Canadiens face the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 6-foot-4 winger was selected by Montreal in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft and spent two seasons in the OHL with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs. Over 131 games, he produced 90 points (47G, 43A) and added 157 penalty minutes.

Xhekaj had a strong, high-intensity training camp and was among Montreal’s final cuts. Head coach Martin St. Louis has emphasized the need for more sandpaper in the lineup, something Xhekaj is expected to bring.

“He plays a heavy game, but he also can fight,” St. Louis said during camp. “When I talk about sandpaper, I don’t necessarily mean we need guys who can fight. We need guys who bring a physical presence, and if moments like that come up, those players can handle them. But I don’t judge Flo just on that, any more than I do Arber. I think it’s a bonus if they can do that, but can they play the game in front of them and contribute to the five-man unit — on and off the puck, on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively?”

Reflecting on the call-up after morning skate, Xhekaj shared:

“I got a few calls, but I was tired. I was trying to sleep, so I was just ignoring them,” he said with a laugh. “Then I looked and it was my coach (Pascal Vincent), and he said, ‘You’re going up and you’re going to play your first game against the Leafs at the Bell Centre,’ so it was a pretty cool moment.”