Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj makes feelings known about his little brother Florian's preseason performance in win over Flyers

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj shared his thoughts on his younger brother, Florian Xhekaj’s, performance in the preseason.

On Tuesday, Florian scored a goal in the Canadiens’ 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He also engaged in a spirited second-period fight against Flyers’ heavyweight Nic Deslauriers.

After the game, Arber Xhekaj expressed immense pride in his brother, noting that Florian stole the show with his performance.

“He stole the show tonight. He had a good fight & I got scared for a moment. I gotta realize that he’s all grown up now. Now he’s my size, he’s not a little boy anymore, so I gotta get that outta my head. I’m proud of him.."

Florian Xhekaj was drafted 101st overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 NHL draft. The 21-year-old is yet to make an appearance for the club in the regular season.

Arber Xhekaj's brother dropped gloves against Nic Deslauriers

After scoring the goal to put the Habs up 2-0 in the first period, Florian Xhekaj dropped the gloves against one of the toughest fighters, Nic Deslauriers, in the second period.

The Flyers’ enforcer came out on top, delivering solid shots and pinning Florian to the boards before referees intervened to stop the fight. Notably, Deslauriers has now fought both Xhekaj brothers.

Watch the video here:

Cole Caufield gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead just 52 seconds into the first period. Florian Xhekaj then extended the lead to 2-0 before the second period.

Anthony Richard cut the deficit to 2-1 for the Flyers at 11:11 of the second period. Nick Suzuki restored the Canadiens’ lead to 3-1 before Owen Tippett made it 3-2 for the Flyers heading into the final period.

Arber Xhekaj sealed the win for the Canadiens with an empty-net goal with ten seconds remaining in the game. The Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Centre Bell in their next preseason game on Thursday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta