Xhekaj’s mother tears up after Canadiens forward scores in preseason game

Florian Xhekaj made sure his mother’s drive up to Montreal was worth it on Tuesday.

The Montreal Canadiens forward scored in his first game playing with his brother, Arber Xhekaj, during the team’s preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers at Bell Centre.

Their mother, Simona, teared up in the stands after Florian gave the Canadiens a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Earlier in the day, their mom shared on social media she was surprising the boys at the game later that night. It was the first time the two brothers have played together with the Canadiens.

Paula had worked until midnight the night before, when her manager encouraged her to go watch her boys play. It was worth the drive from Hamilton, Ontario to see her sons as teammates for the first time.

"It's very hard to explain. I'm full of emotions," Paula said. "This is what we worked for and the boys worked for. It's dream come true, right? I always say dreams come true when you work hard."

The brothers posed for a picture on the ice before puck drop.

After the game, Florian talked about the moment his mother surprised them.

"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 netted an empty net goal to complete the memorable night for the Xhekaj family. The Canadiens defenseman was happy his mother was in the stands to watch their dreams come true.

“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

Florian was drafted by the Canadiens in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Last season, he recorded 35 points (24 goals, 11 assists) in 69 games for the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate.

Arber has played the last three seasons with the Canadiens. He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in November 2021.

-LNH.com senior staff writer Guillaume Lepage contributed to this report.