The NHL has seen its fair share of brothers playing together. Last night, it was time for a new generation to take the ice when both Arber Xhekaj and Florian Xhekaj suited up for a Montreal Canadiens preseason game. Afterwards, their mother, Simona, left her sons a heartfelt message.
Arber Xhekaj is already a well-established NHL player with over 160 games for the Montreal Canadiens. His brother Florian was drafted by the Canadiens but had yet to represent them in an NHL game—until last night, when both brothers made the roster for a preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Goal and a fight
And the brothers really made an impact. Not only did they both score a goal—albeit Arber’s was an empty-netter—but Florian also dropped the gloves against Flyers enforcer Nick Deslauriers, in a 4-2 win. Their mother, Simona, had driven from Hamilton to Montreal to watch her sons play without them knowing. She surprised them before the game.
”I came out of my room for my pregame nap, and I see her in there, and, you know, she got emotional,” Florian said. “I think it was a really big moment for her to see her two boys playing a game. So, yeah, it’s, it’s special for her to come out here,” Arber told NHL.com.
“My parents have sacrificed everything for me and my brother their whole lives, like sleeping in the car, driving us to Toronto for every practice, late nights and tournaments, and dumping every single ounce of money they have into me and Florian, and I think for her to be there and to see where we’ve come, I think it’s, it’s a pretty special moment,” Arber said.
Simona Xhekaj’s heartfelt message
Simona left the Czech Republic in the 1990s during a political conflict. She eventually settled in Hamilton, Ontario, where she met Jack, the brothers’ future father. He had fled Kosovo, and together they built a new life in Canada. After watching her sons play professional hockey together, Simona shared a heartfelt message on X:
“Thankful! Words can’t describe how my heart is feeling.
29 years ago I landed at Pearson Airport with a suitcase, with questions… what now?? Two weeks later I met a crazy Albanian guy… The rest is history. Thankful for this beautiful life.”
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