"Nothing to lose here": Arber Xhekaj's mom rallies Habs nation ahead of Canadiens vs Capitals Round 1 playoff clash

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj’s mother Simona is a regular spectator of the sport. She follows the Habs and often quips on the games across social media platforms.

On Thursday, she shared an infographic of the Habs’ Round 1 playoff schedule on her X account. In the caption, she wrote:

“We are ready hockey nation 🤞👊💯 Nothing to lose here, only surprise everyone , let’s Gooooo 🙏”

The Canadiens secured the final Eastern Conference wild card spot with a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. They are now set to face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

Arber Xhekaj has had a decent showing this year. He made 70 appearances over the course of the season, logging a goal and 5 assists with a plus-minus of -13.

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

Earlier last month, Simona Xhekaj retweeted a documentary featuring a Habs fan who had reached out to Canadiens alternate captain Brendan Gallagher with an offer to return a special jersey Gallagher wore during the NHL’s “Hockey Fights Cancer” initiative back in 2022.

Lucie Lachance, the fan, had won the jersey in a later auction and it had been in her possession ever since. The jersey also had a special tag where Gallagher had written “I’m fighting for Mom,” as a tribute to his mother Della, who was battling with brain cancer at the time.

Della Gallagher recently passed away after a lengthy battle with stage 4 glioblastoma. After the news was made public, Lucie reached out to Gallagher on X and expressed that she believed the jersey rightfully belonged with him.

Simona Xhekaj mentioned how moved she was by the fans’ gesture in her tweet. She wrote:

“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.❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Gallagher appreciated the fan’s offer and invited Lucie to the Bell Centre for a jersey swap on April 16. He signed his game-worn jersey on the ice for Lucie after their game against the Hurricanes on Wednesday and also presented her with his stick. They posed for photos and shared a sweet moment together.