“Dreams sure do come true”: Florian Xhekaj’s mother pens emotional reaction to son Canadiens call-up

Habs prospect Florian Xhekaj received his first NHL call-up after a breakout AHL season and months of grinding with the Laval Rocket. Montreal announced the news on Friday marking the first time the younger Xhekaj has been added to the Canadiens’ NHL roster.

Soon after, his mother Simona Xhekaj reacted with an emotional message on X. Sharing the Canadiens’ announcement, she wrote:

“How is one supposed to feel? Congratulations Flo 🙏 If you believe, you achieve. Dreams sure do come true ❤️ And yes, you bet I will see it with my own eyes 👀 💙🤍❤️ #GoHabsGo.”

The call-up caps a steady rise for the 21-year-old forward who has never taken an easy path to the NHL. Drafted 101st overall by Montreal in 2023, he signed his three-year entry-level contract in April 2024 after breaking out in the OHL with 34 goals and 65 points in his final junior season.

He then delivered a strong first pro campaign with Laval in 2024-25 recording 24 goals, 11 assists, and 175 penalty minutes in 69 games. This season, he has posted two goals, two assists and 44 penalty minutes through 16 games with the Rocket earning the recall that now places him on the verge of his NHL debut.

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Florian Xhekaj’s mother told him to keep his head up

Florian Xhekaj was among the final cuts earlier last month as the Montreal Canadiens finalized their 23-man roster ahead of the 2025-26 season opener and his mother Simona publicly shared how proud she was of her younger son after he was reassigned to the Laval Rocket.

Posting on X, she expressed her emotions reflecting on how hard her sons have worked to reach this point.

“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 Lava,” she wrote on X.

Florian had made a strong impression throughout camp appearing in three preseason games with one goal, a +3 rating, three fights and 25 penalty minutes. His standout moment came on Sept. 23 at Bell Centre when he scored his first preseason goal against the Philadelphia Flyers while playing on a line with his older brother Arber.

In the stands, Simona teared up as she watched both of her sons share the ice in an NHL game for the first time. She later told NHL.com that the moment was the culmination of everything the family had worked for calling it a dream realized through hard work.

"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.

Simona had worked until midnight before driving from Hamilton with her manager’s encouragement to surprise her sons before the game. Florian said having her there made the experience even more meaningful.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno