“To eternity and beyond”: Arber Xhekaj’s mom Simona pens heartfelt message for her husband on their 26th wedding anniversary

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj’s parents, Simona and Jack, celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary this week. On Thursday, Xhekaj’s mother, Simona, penned a heartfelt message for her husband, wishing him on the special occasion.

Simona Xhekaj posted a couple of selfies on X, where she and Jack held glasses of white wine in a toast. Simona was dressed in a white off-shoulder top and a silver necklace with a cross, while Jack wore a black tank top and a gold chain with a pendant.

“Just couple of kids doing life together. Happy 26th wedding anniversary to us,” she wrote. “To eternity and beyond ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”

Arber Xhekaj’s parents originally immigrated to Canada in the 1990s and met in Hamilton, Ontario, through mutual friends at the Sheraton Hotel.

Jack Xhekaj is from Kosovo and works as a welder, while Simona is from the Czech Republic and works at a Costco garage. They married around 1999 and have four children: Arber, his younger brother Florian, and two sisters, Sophia and Dominika. Arber’s mother, Simona, had also been a former junior national volleyball player.

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Arber Xhekaj’s mother melts over fan’s gesture in honor of Brendan Gallagher’s late mother Della

Earlier last month, a fan offered to return a special jersey to Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher. The fan, Lucie Lachance, had bought the jersey in 2022 for just over $1,500 during the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer auction.

Gallagher had worn the purple and white jersey that year, which had a special inside tag where he wrote, “I’m fighting for Mom,” in tribute to his mother, Della, who was fighting with cancer at the time.

Gallagher’s mother died last month after a long battle with brain cancer. When Lucie learned of the news, she contacted Gallagher on X and offered to give the special jersey back. The Habs captain thanked her and invited her to the Bell Centre for a jersey swap on April 16.

Arber Xhekaj’s mother, Simona, found the fan’s gesture heartwarming and shared how much she was looking forward to the emotional moment.

“This is such an amazing and thoughtful thing. Della was special, a very special lady with heart of gold 💛 and I feel blessed and privileged to have known her for a very short time. Just thinking of that moment in Bell Center brings me chills and tears.❤️❤️❤️❤️,” Simona wrote on X.

Gallagher met Lucile on the ice after the Habs' last home game of the season at Bell Centre. He received the special jersey from her and presented her with his game-worn jersey and stick, signing both in front of her. They also posed together for photos.