5 Immigrant Stories Powering the Montreal Canadiens’ Playoff Run

Tonight, the Canadiens play their first playoff game against North Carolina, fighting for a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals.

But this year’s Canadiens lineup also tells another Canadian story: immigration.

As Montreal fights through the NHL playoffs, many of the players helping power the team come from immigrant backgrounds and international families. Some arrived recently from Europe – likely on special work permits. Some are the children of immigrants. Others represent families that have now been part of Canada for generations.

Together, these hockey players reflect something that many newcomers quickly discover after arriving here: Canada is built from the stories of people from all around the world.

Here are five immigrant stories shaping the Habs during this monumental playoff run.

#1 – Juraj Slafkovský: Learning to Belong in Montreal

When Juraj Slafkovský arrived in Montreal after being selected first overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, the pressure hit hard and fast. Immigrating from Slovakia when he was still a teenager, Slafkovský was entering one of the most intense hockey markets in the world. He felt the pressure from every fan, sports reporter, and even armchair coaches like me, who love to yell at the TV for the smallest mistake.

 

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For many newcomers to Canada, that feeling of pressure might sound familiar. Arriving in a new country means adapting quickly while carrying big expectations from employers, family members, and even yourself. You have to learn new systems, languages, cultures, and social norms all at once, often while trying to prove that you belong there.

Over the last year, Slafkovský, who’s only 22 years old, has started looking increasingly comfortable in Montreal. During the Canadiens’ playoff run, he’s cemented a grand legacy, landing a hat trick against Tampa Bay in the first round.

That adjustment process is related for many newcomers, because very few arrive in Canada feeling immediately at home. Sometimes belonging is something that takes time – and that’s part of the journey.

#2 – Arber Xhekaj: The Son of Immigrants Became a Montreal Fan Favourite

If Slafkovský’s story is about arriving in Canada, Arber Xhekaj represents another part of the immigrant experience: what families build over generations.

Xhekaj was born in Hamilton, Ontario, to Albanian immigrant parents from Kosovo. He had an unconventional path into the NHL, too. Only five years ago, Xhekaj was working at a Costco in Hamilton. He wasn’t drafted into the NHL, but was instead signed in 2021 as an undrafted, third-pair OHL defenceman. The move paid off for the Habs.

 

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Now, Xhekaj has become one of the Canadiens’ most beloved players. When he scored his first goal of the playoffs in Game Six against Buffalo, the fans went wild. And – his popularity also connects to something larger.

Many second-generation Canadians grow up juggling multiple identities at once. There’s the history carried by their parents, and there’s the country they themselves are growing up in. Sports become one of the places where those identities can merge.

Xhekaj’s story speaks to a familiar Canadian-ism: immigrant parents working to create opportunities so their children can dream bigger. And, boy oh boy, Xhekaj has achieved some pretty big dreams.

#3 – Alexandre Texier: Finding Familiarity in Quebec

For Alexandre Texier, like for all immigrants, arriving in Canada likely came with a period of adjustment. However, as a native of France moving to French-speaking Montreal, Texier probably felt some familiarity, too.

 

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The French forward may share a language with Quebec, but Quebec culture is also deeply distinct from France. Many French immigrants in Montreal describe that as an experience that is familiar, yet different. And that tension is part of what makes Quebec unique.

Montreal is one of the world’s largest French-speaking cities, but it’s also shaped by people arriving from across the francophone world, including France, Haiti, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Cameroon, and many other countries. According to the most recent census, one-third of Montrealers are first-generation immigrants.

During the Canadiens’ playoff run, Texier has quietly filled the kind of reliable supporting role that often becomes incredibly important in playoff hockey. Teams rarely succeed with stars alone. But – Texier can be a star when he needs to, netting three total playoff goals so far this postseason.

#4 – Ivan Demidov: The Future of Hockey is Global

Few players have generated as much excitement among Canadiens fans recently as Ivan Demidov. The young right winger, 20 years old, only made his NHL debut one year ago after he was selected by the Canadiens in the first round of the 2024 draft. The announcement of his selection was made by Quebec superstar, Celine Dion.

 

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And what a year it’s been since his debut!

Even though he’s still a recent addition to the NHL, Demidov has become part of the future that Montreal fans are imagining for the franchise. He also reflects how global hockey has become, with Demidov moving to Canada from Russia.

For decades, many Canadians thought of hockey primarily as a Canadian game. Today, every year, elite players arrive from Slovakia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and far beyond.

And Demidov arrived in Canada while he was still a teenager, making his NHL debut at only 19 years old. Like many young immigrants arriving in Canada for opportunity, international hockey players often relocate while still extremely young. They leave behind language, family, routines, and familiarity while trying to build a life somewhere completely new.

#5 – Nick Suzuki and the Long Story of Immigration in Canada

If Slafkovský represents new arrivals and Xhekaj represents second-generation immigrant families, Nick Suzuki represents something else entirely: how immigration stories become part of Canada itself.

Suzuki, the Canadiens captain, is a fifth-generation Japanese Canadian, also known as gosei. His family history reflects the mixture of joy, pain, and resilience that shaped many immigrant communities in Canada.

Less than 100 years ago, Japanese Canadians faced internment camps during the Second World War. This included Suzuki’s own grandparents. Japanese Canadians lost their homes, businesses, and property because of racism and government policy.

Today, Suzuki wears the captain’s “C” for the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL playoff run. He’s only the second captain of Asian descent in the history of the NHL.

 

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Suzuki’s successes build on the legacies of players before him, like the late Larry Kwong, the first Asian player to appear in the NHL. Kwong faced enormous racism during his hockey career and received only a single NHL shift despite dominating in other professional leagues.

On the ice, Suzuki’s leadership has become central to the Canadiens’ playoff strategy. He’s young, fast, and a joy to watch on the ice, steering his team to victory among some extraordinarily challenging games.

The Canadiens may still be one of hockey’s oldest franchises, but the team’s playoff run is being powered by stories that are unmistakably present-day: newcomers arriving from abroad, immigrant families building new lives, and generations of people slowly reshaping what Canada looks like.

If you need me sometime in the next two weeks, you can find me at the bar in Montreal, sipping a beer and cheering for the Habs to demolish the Canes. Go, Habs, Go!