After taking on some of the NHL’s toughest enforcers last season, Montreal Canadiens fans learned how tough rookie defenceman Arber Xhekaj was.
And it looks like his younger brother Florian is just as feisty.
Selected by Montreal in the fourth round of the 2023 Draft, Florian was among the group of Habs rookies who took part in the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo this past weekend.
In the third and final game of the tournament against the Ottawa Senators, the 19-year-old lived up to his family name by going toe-to-toe with Connor Clattenburg.
After Xhekaj was taken down by the 6-foot-4 centre, he got right back up and started swinging. And after a few good blows, the officials had to step in to break up the tussle.
Florian Xhekaj mixes it up with Clattenburg. Clattenburg took him down, and then things went south for him. pic.twitter.com/BkoHukQXx9
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 18, 2023
The young forward’s game is not limited to physicality, though. Last season, Florian had 13 goals, 25 assists, and 76 penalty minutes in 68 games with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.
While it’s unlikely that he will make the team this year, his brother famously surpassed expectations as an undrafted rookie, making the NHL out of training camp last year. On top of that, Arber quickly became a Canadiens fan favourite with his physical, unapologetic style of play.
All that said, with little to no spots available this time around, fans might have to wait an extra year to see both Xhekaj brothers share the ice. When asked about the prospect of playing together, Florian told reporters on Monday that it was always their dream.
“That was always our dream playing with each other growing up, so to be in the same organization it’s super special,” the Hamilton, Ontario native said. “So hopefully one day we’ll play with each other.”
In his one year on the team, Arber has already collected a few eccentric nicknames, such as “Big X,” “The Sherriff,” and “Wi-Fi.” One could only imagine what fans and teammates would call Florian, perhaps “Little X.”
Time will tell.
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