An invitee to Rookie Camp last fall, Xhekaj earned a subsequent invite to main camp and was quickly signed to a three-year, two-way contract in October 2021 through the 2023-24 season.
With three years of junior hockey under his belt, the 21-year-old Hamilton, ON native believes his time to join the NHL ranks is now.
"I always believe in myself and I always think that I'm ready. Even last year, I thought I was ready, but obviously they thought I wasn't. That's just the mindset I have going into every camp," explained Xhekaj, the OHL's most penalized player last season. "I'm playing with a lot of confidence here. That's the biggest thing. You've got to play with confidence, and if the confidence isn't there, then my game doesn't go as well."
Admittedly, Xhekaj wasn't pleased with his showing in Western New York.
He's "definitely satisfied" with his effort during the scrimmages, though.
"These games were huge for me because obviously at Rookie Camp I wanted to show them my physical side, and sometimes I was getting out of the play. I wasn't feeling my game too much. A lot of people said I did well, but I wasn't feeling my game on the puck-moving side and making plays how I want to make plays. This is huge for me and a big opportunity to show I can play," explained Xhekaj. "I always found my whole life that whenever I played with older guys, I jumped to their level and I excelled at my game, so I definitely found it a little easier."