In a night filled with family pride and raw hockey talent, Florian Xhekaj made his NHL debut one to remember, nearly completing a Gordie Howe hat-trick while helping the Montreal Canadiens snap their five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Family Affair at Bell Centre
The 21-year-old winger took to the ice with his older brother Arber watching from the same bench and their parents cheering from the stands, having made the trip from their Hamilton home for the special occasion. The Xhekaj brothers, who have been living together downtown, drove to the Bell Centre together, with Arber setting the mood by telling his younger brother to "crank the tunes up" for what he called "his night."
The pre-game warmup provided a moment of levity when Florian, taking the traditional rookie lap alone without a helmet, hit the post with his first shot on an empty net. "I don't think I even raised the puck," the rookie admitted after the game. "I was just trying to not fall out there."
Arber later chuckled about the moment, noting "I heard he went muffin along the ice. That's the one thing you can't do. He went muffin. But that's all right... he'll see that forever."
Impactful Performance Against Rivals
Any pre-game jitters quickly disappeared once the puck dropped for real. Playing on the third line with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson, Florian logged 9:48 of ice time and made his presence felt throughout the game. His stat line told the story of a complete performance: an assist, two shots, three hits, one blocked shot, and a fight that energized the entire arena.
The young forward came within a single goal of achieving the coveted Gordie Howe hat-trick—a combination of a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game. His night culminated with dropping the gloves against Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis with less than five minutes remaining in the third period, delivering a decisive beating that fired up both his teammates and the home crowd.
After the fight, Florian raised his hands to energize the fans while heading to the penalty box, where Arber led a line of teammates to congratulate the debutant. "I couldn't stop banging my stick," Arber said. "I was yelling at him: 'Show the crowd some love! Show the crowd some love!' He fired them up and it was perfect. It was awesome!"
Teammates Recognize Immediate Impact
Veteran defenseman Mike Matheson highlighted the intangible qualities Florian brought to the team, stating "Energy and passion. That was great to see. I think we needed that. I think we needed a little bit of a boost and he definitely brought that to the table."
Linemate Josh Anderson was particularly impressed with the rookie's approach, noting "His forecheck, you saw early he was on the hunt trying to finish as many checks as he can. Big presence. Enjoyed the moment playing with him in his first NHL game."
Anderson expanded on what makes Florian effective: "I've always loved Flo's game. He plays simple, he plays hard, he's not scared of anybody on the ice. When you have a guy that plays the game simple, it's kind of easy to play along with him and also bring the heat and bring the energy like we did tonight."
The physical presence of the new line combination won't be welcome news for opposing defensemen, with Florian standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds alongside Anderson at 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds.
Brotherly Bond and Family Pride
The significance of the moment wasn't lost on either brother. Florian reflected on having Arber by his side, saying "It's special to have him by my side. He's always been the best brother I could ask for."
He also acknowledged the importance of having his entire family present for his debut, emphasizing "Not many guys can say they played their first NHL game at the Bell Centre against the Leafs, first of all, and then to have my brother here with me, it's truly special. And for my dad and my mom to be here, there's nothing more I could ask for."
The Canadiens organization captured the family moment, sharing photos of the Xhekaj family celebrating together after the memorable game.
Florian's journey to this debut included an impressive AHL rookie season where he posted 24 goals and 11 assists for 35 points while leading the league with 175 penalty minutes. This season with the Rocket, he had recorded 2 goals and 2 assists with 44 penalty minutes in 16 games before receiving the call-up to Montreal.
The victory marked an important turnaround for the Canadiens, who had been struggling with an 0-4-1 record in their previous five games before Florian Xhekaj's energizing debut provided the spark they desperately needed.
