Arber Xhekaj defied the odds and made it to the National League even though he had to wait until he was 18 to even play junior hockey. Will he be imitated by his little brother?
Florian Xhekaj took a step in this direction by signing a contract with the Canadian this week.
The stages are jostling for him at the end of the season:
- Sunday: the Brantford Bulldogs lose 6-1 to the Ottawa 67 and are eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs;
- Tuesday: Xhekaj signs his three-year contract with the Canadian and a trial contract with the Rocket in order to finish the season in the American League;
- Wednesday: he takes part in a first training session with the Rocket;
- Thursday: the Rocket will face the Cleveland Monsters. Will Xhekaj play?
“He did that very well, he’s a big guy who can play center and wing. We’ll let him get acclimated, and we’ll see when we get him to play, if it’s [jeudi] », noted head coach Jean-François Houle, by videoconference.
Xhekaj, however, arrives in a delicate situation. There are four games left on the Rocket’s schedule, in the heart of a fight to participate in the playoffs. Houle repeatedly reminded us of the number of matches to be played; understand by this that he will not simply insert into the training a young man who is certainly colossal, but whose age is betrayed by one of those famous soft mustaches which turn heads in secondary school. In other words, if Xhekaj plays, it won’t be to gain experience. It will be because he can help the Rocket win games.
“It’s important that he acclimatizes and is in a position to be successful,” Houle recalled. Maybe he will play [jeudi], maybe later. If he plays, I see him more on the wing. We have four big games left and center is not an easy position to play. I want him to acclimate to our structure and our players. »
One more option
If his position was discussed, it was because Xhekaj himself had just revealed that the organization saw him developing as a center.
“In junior, I always played on the wing, left and right. But my coach asked me to play center this year. He thought I could fill that role,” said the 19-year-old.
I know that the Canadian also wants to see me in the center. I had good numbers this year and I was good in my territory too. It was a good thing.
Florian Xhekaj
The change of position did not harm him offensively, on the contrary. Author of 25 points in 68 games in 2022-2023, he exploded with 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) in 63 games this season. His differential went from -17 to +17. “My coach has confidence in me. I played on the power play, so I touched the puck a little more and that gave me confidence,” he summarized.
In the medium term, the CH is not in a bad position in the center. Nick Suzuki has become a sure value, Alex Newhook shows great promise as a third center, while Kirby Dach remains promising, even if he will have to chase away some doubts next camp, after missing 104 games since the fall of 2022.
Behind them, however, it’s thin. Jake Evans will end the final year of his contract next season. Owen Beck is often touted for his overall game, but there’s no sign it’ll be a home run. Filip Mesar, late first pick tour in 2022, was unable to retain his position with the Rocket at the start of the season and returned to junior, a sign that he still has work to do. In Europe, Oliver Kapanen intrigues management, but his date of arrival in North America remains unknown.
In Xhekaj, Montreal therefore finds itself with an additional long-term option. An option however different from the others, because like his big brother, he is capable of showing himself to be “very friendly”, in the sense of Obélix in Caesar’s surprise. The 6’4″, 190 lbs man has received 81 penalty minutes this season in 63 games, and has been suspended twice.
It is also this mixture of robustness and offensive skills that led Nick Bobrov, co-director of amateur recruitment for the Canadian, to describe Xhekaj as a “unicorn” in a behind-the-scenes video of the 2023 draft. A unicorn who nevertheless slipped to 101e rank of the auction.
Laval or the junior?
Now it will be interesting to see where he continues his journey next season.
Florian Xhekaj will celebrate his 20th birthday in June. He will therefore be eligible to play in the American League, but he retains the right to play in the junior ranks. This is actually what Arber did at 20 years old. Like Florian, he only had two years of OHL experience when he made this decision. Arber then, at 21, earned a position with the Canadian, bypassing the American League.
The junior “could be an option,” conceded Florian Xhekaj. I saw my brother play in his age 20 season in the OHL and he was really dominant. But at the same time, he could have played in the American League. It depends on the training and if they want me in the team. »