Arber Xhekaj: “Florian is a beast and he’s going to surprise a lot of people”

In Montreal, Arber Xhekaj is a popular figure. The defenseman, who isn’t afraid to throw down the gloves, is a fan favorite.

We’re also talking about a player who’s very charismatic, which doesn’t hurt either.

But it’s not just in Montreal where the defender is a popular name. Across the league, Xhekaj is a household name… and that earned him an invitation to appear on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast in an episode that aired today (but was obviously recorded before the deal that brought Patrik Laine to town, because the subject doesn’t come up).

Here’s what caught our attention in this interview

1. The Habs defenseman was asked about his younger brother, Florian. Florian, who is a forward, is also a prospect in the Habs line-up.

That said, he takes after his big brother, a guy who’s not afraid to throw down the gloves and play physical.

In Montreal, many see him as a possible piece of the fourth line of the future. That would be a great scenario for a guy drafted in the fourth round… and Arber is one of those who think big of Florian:

Florian’s a beast too, man. He’s going to surprise a lot of people. – Arber Xhekaj

“I’m over in Hamilton. Me and my brother we train in Burlington together. He’s a beast too man, he’s gonna surprise a lot of people. I mean he had to fight me growing up his whole life so it’ll be interesting to see what he does man.”

– Arber Xhekaj on his lil brother Florian pic.twitter.com/eGeTCKcCMP

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 20, 2024

Arber says that, after all, Florian grew up having to fight him. We know Arber isn’t exactly a soft touch, and if Florian has learned a few things from his big brother, he’ll find a way to make it in the NHL.

Because tough players like that are the kind of players teams are looking for on the fourth line.

2. During the interview, Xhekaj talked a little about his first camp with the Habs. He explains that, at the time, he knew the Habs were interested, but the club took some time before issuing him an official invitation.

So, for a while, the only offers on the table were from the Panthers and the Maple Leafs. At the time, his agent was urging him to “stop screwing around” and accept the Panthers’ offer.

Xhekaj was willing to wait a while, however, because he knew the Habs were interested, and it was his dream destination. In the end, the Habs came through.

At camp, the defenseman was convinced that he hadn’t done enough to earn a contract. He’d been told he’d be going home… but in the end, he was surprised when the club told him he’d be doing so with a contract in his pocket.

And his parents, who sacrificed a lot to allow him to play, were extremely proud of their son.

3. The young defenseman also talked about his first NHL fight, which pitted him against Zack Kassian. He explains that, on the ice, he looked at Kassian and laughed… and Kassian didn’t exactly like it.

He looked at the kid and asked “what the f*ck he was looking at”.

Kassian went to Chris Wideman and told him he was going to give the kid a good beating. Wideman warned him off, saying Xhekaj knew how to fight… and a few minutes later, Kassian was getting laid to the mat by Xhekaj.

“We’re lined up vs Zack Kassian. I’m just looking at him smiling & laughing. He’s like ‘what the fuck are you looking at?!’ He told Wideman ‘I’m gonna beat the shit outta this kid.’ Wides said: ‘He can hold his own, it’s not gonna go how you think it’s gonna go.”

– Arber Xhekaj pic.twitter.com/22yCmQhCdS

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 20, 2024

4. The hosts also asked Xhekaj about his time at Costco. We know that in 2020, the young man had no choice but to go to work, and it added to his legend when he came to town.

And when it was later revealed that he’d been fired from Costco, it added even more to the legend.

Xhekaj talked a little about his dismissal, and recounted how, at the time, a manager had told him that at some point, he was going to have to choose between Costco and hockey, as he was always a few minutes late due to his practices.

The rest is history… and in the end, he seems to have made the right decision.

“I’m showing up 5-10 mins late but I told them I’m chasing a dream here. I got pulled in by a manager…she said ‘you gotta come to reality at some point & pick whether it’s Costco or hockey.’”

– Arber Xhekaj on getting fired from Costco pic.twitter.com/sH0mjX5qnY

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 20, 2024

5. Towards the end of the interview, the hosts asked Xhekaj if he had honed his fighting technique this summer.

The defender explained that he hadn’t really had the chance to do so… because he didn’t have the green light in connection with his shoulder injury.

The good news is that he can now do it.

Xhekaj mentions on the @spittinchiclets pod that he recently got cleared from his last shoulder surgery. No idea he was actually rehabing all summer, let’s hope he comes in ready to go!

– HFTV (@HFTVSports) August 20, 2024

An interesting interview which I’m reposting HERE if you’d like to listen to it in its entirety.

It’s a good hour, but well worth it.