When the Montreal Canadiens selected winger Florian Xhekaj in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2023 Draft, they weren’t expecting to acquire a goal scorer. But as luck would have it, the 19-year-old has blossomed into one.
Coming off a 13-goal, 25-point season (over 68 games) with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs in 2022-23, the Canadiens prospect took his game to another level over the past year.
With his foot on the gas all season long, Xhekaj saw a huge improvement in his 2023-24 campaign as a point-per-game player, netting 34 goals and 65 points in just 63 games.
He capped the season off in style with five points in the Bulldogs’ 5-1 win over the Ottawa 67’s on Sunday. Lending a hand in all five of his team’s goals, the Hamilton native collected two goals and three assists in the victory.
#OHLPerformer of the Night 🌟@CanadiensMTL prospect Florian Xhekaj collected five points in Brantford's 5-1 road victory in Ottawa, leading the charge to secure home-ice advantage in the #OHLPlayoffs.@BulldogsOHL | @bastardburrito | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/RrssimbEe6
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 25, 2024
Before this year, Xhekaj — whose older brother Arber has become one of the NHL’s most intimidating defencemen — was known as a feisty forward who used his 6-foot-3 frame to his advantage.
That part of his game hasn’t gone away as Xhekaj is still heavily involved in scrums, logging 81 penalty minutes and a handful of fights this year.
But along with taking his offence up a notch, the prospect has also seen an improvement on the defensive end of things, finishing the year as a +17 in the +/- column — a far cry from last year’s -17.
With his Junior career winding down, Xhekaj will get the opportunity to conclude his tenure as a Bulldog on an ever higher note as Brantford will face Ottawa in the opening round of the OHL playoffs.
Already a standout at last year’s rookie camp, the young forward has certainly done his part to increase his odds of joining his sibling in a Habs uniform the next time around.
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