Montreal Canadiens fourth round pick Florian Xhekaj has signed his entry-level contract with the club, as his team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Florian Xhekaj has signed his three year entry-level NHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2023. Xhekaj currently plays with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, who were recently eliminated from playoff contention.
Florian — the brother of current Hab, Arber Xhekaj — will one day join his brother in a Canadiens jersey, and this is the next step in that journey for Florian.
Xhekaj has also signed a professional tryout with Montreal's AHL affiliate the Laval Rocket, where he will be eligible to play for the remainder of the season. He will look to get his first pro hockey experience with Laval, and get his feet wet in the professional hockey pace and speed.
With the Bulldogs this season, Xhekaj put up some impressive numbers with 65 points in 63 games, and seemingly making a physical presence each night on the ice. Similarly to his brother Arber, Florian likes to initiate physicality and get in the heads of opponents.
He was a nightmare for Ottawa to deal with in the first round of the playoffs, but they were able to escape with the win in six games regardless.
Arber Xhekaj also played for the Bulldogs in his final stint in the OHL, after beginning his major junior career with the Kitchener Rangers. Florian has always been with the Bulldogs organization, and will remain there for the foreseeable future.
Though Florian is getting an opportunity with the pros in the AHL, expect him to return to the Brantford Bulldogs for another season in 2024-2025.