[2] During his time with the St. Catharines Falcons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), Xhekaj drew the interest of the Kitchener Rangers scouting staff.
[4] Xhekaj remained with the Rangers at the beginning of the 2021–22 season, acquiring a reputation as a dangerous defenceman who was described by The Hockey News as having "effectively blended the old-school enforcer with the modern-day defensive blueliner.
[7] Upon entering the Canadiens' summer training, Xhekaj was initially considered more likely to earn a regular place on American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, but continued to distinguish himself in rookie tournament and preseason play.
"[5] With injuries to veteran leftsided defencemen Mike Matheson and Joel Edmundson, additional openings were created for rookies to make the Canadiens lineup.
[11] Xhekaj earned the nickname "Wi-Fi" from his teammates due to the underlying spelling of same being perceived as similar to a default password programmed onto an internet router.
[17] He was initially tasked with working on his defensive game while in Laval[18] and was soon paired with rookie blueliner Logan Mailloux, collectively playing a key role in the Rocket's surge up the league standings.
[20] On April 9, it was announced that Xhekaj would undergo season-ending surgery due to injury sustained in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning a few days prior.
[24] Entering play for the 2024–25 season, Xhekaj would be involved in an incident with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare during a preseason game on September 29, 2024 where he would be assessed a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct by the NHL Department of Player Safety.