Florian Xhekaj's mother, Simona, shared a heartfelt message after the Montreal Canadiens announced that her younger son was among the final cuts ahead of the 2025-26 season opener.The Canadiens got their roster finalized at 23 players (league limit). Florian Xhekaj, Arber’s younger brother, got re-assigned to the Laval Rocket.Simona expressd her pride on X, writing:"Flo, we are sooo proud of you, thankful for 3 games that you played with your brother. It was incredible to watch you two together on ice at the same time. This is just beginning. Head up, and go light it up in Laval"Florian made a strong impression during camp. He appeared in three preseason games, scored one goal, a +3 rating, and got into three fights with 25 penalty minutes.The Canadiens open their regular season against Toronto on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena.Simona Xhekaj gets emotional watching son Florian Xhekaj score first preseason goalSimona Xhekaj couldn’t hold back her emotions after watching her son, Florian Xhekaj, score his first goal in preseason on Sept. 23 at Bell Centre against the Philadelphia Flyers.Florian scored in his very first game playing alongside his brother, Arber Xhekaj. In the stands, their mother, Simona, teared up as she watched Florian score his first goal in the game."It's very hard to explain. I'm full of emotions. 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," Simona said after the game. (per NHL.com)Simona had worked until midnight the night before. With some encouragement from her manager, she drove from Hamilton to see her sons play together.Florian also shared how meaningful it was to have their mom there. He explained that she surprised them before the game and got emotional seeing them together."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," Florian Xhekaj said.Xhekaj, who spent last season with the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate, recorded 35 points (24 goals, 11 assists) in 69 games.