CALGARY – Surrounded by his daughter and a handful of giddy nieces and nephews, Nazem KadriThe post-match fight was interrupted by a quiet voice.
“Why are you skating so slowly?” There was a question.
It came from Aya, his eight-year-old niece, who rode with the man of the hour as a pre-game standard bearer for his 1000th game celebration on Wednesday.
A week earlier, when asked in Toronto if she was nervous about the assignment, she responded emphatically, “No!”
This is Kadri's confidence – inherited, unshakable and, apparently, passed on from generation to generation.
Brian Burke tells the story of the guy he drafted seventh overall as a young Maple Leafs player who parked in the fire lane for one practice.
While Kadri brushed it off, explaining that he was late, Burke wanted to soften the young man’s swagger a little, sentencing him to a month of parking in the place furthest from the skating rink.
Kadri never parked illegally again.
You feel that he will never become neutral. This is who he is.
It's not arrogance, but a conviction that has carried him through 16 years of NHL trials and tribulations, six suspensions, a trade he didn't want, and a 2022 Stanley Cup victory that ended with a message to his critics: “To anyone who thought I was a liability in the playoffs, you can kiss my ass..»
However, for London, Ontario. A guy who's seen and done a lot in his 1,000-game career, you'll certainly get the feeling his milestone celebration on Wednesday night falls somewhere near the pinnacle of his career.
Surrounded by plenty of family members who helped him through the ups and downs of his emotional journey, he capped off the touching pregame ceremony and silver stick presentation with a goal in the team's 5-1 win. Calgary Flames.
How perfect for him to rise to the occasion.
Calling reading to the starter's daughter his favorite moment, the magic of being surrounded by those who matter most to him – friends, family and teammates – capped a day he had been thinking about and planning for months.
The kid who thought he could park anywhere has come a long way.
“He's definitely become a lot more mature,” said his father Sam, beaming with pride at his little boy, who is now a leader in the locker room and the Muslim community.
“He's always had the drive, but maybe he's a little more driven. Genetically, I've gotten stronger in my early 30s, and I think it's going to stay the same. That's why he's still producing. It's pretty cool to see and watch.”
“It's a pretty rare milestone. Only 5 percent of NHL players have done it.”
No one has seen Kadri mature and grow more than his mother Sue.
“They always say boys take longer to grow up, so when he was 20, I always said to him, 'Naz, if I could give 10 years of my life to get you there…'” she began.
“So on his 30th birthday we were all celebrating and singing 'Happy Birthday' and he turned to me and said, 'Mom, we did it, I'm 30 now.'
“I'm so proud. He's so humble.”
Soon after being drafted in 2009, Kadri quickly became one of Toronto's most controversial figures.
Burke remembers draft day well, telling the story for years about how Sam pulled him aside and said, “If my son gives you any trouble, punch him in the face and call me.”
Sam smiles and insists that he said “slap” and not “punch”, but the idea was clear: bring him to justice.
What surprises many is how well he deals with racism, controversy, criticism and disqualification, coming out the other side stronger and wiser.
“Nazem never lets anything bother him—at least he never shows it,” Mom said.
“He's just trying to come out and show the opposite. “I'm just going to show everyone what I can do and that's who I am.”
Qadri's humility is matched by his fire, but gone are the days when he crossed the line.
“He's still emotional, but he's learned to hide it more,” Sam said.
“He still hates losing.”
Of course, the 35-year-old admits.
“I don’t really have a switch that I can turn it on or off,” Kadri said.
“Once you start keeping score, it starts for me. That's always what motivates me and helps me in my career.”
Early in his NHL career, Kadri never would have believed that he would join 406 other NHL players to pass the 1,000-game mark, or that he would be the only Flame player to score in his big game since Martin Gelinas pulled off the stunt in 2003.
But he started the day with a major league gift exchange in which Kadri gave each teammate a custom Scotty Cameron putter.
His teammates gave him a diamond-encrusted 1,000 necklace and a bracelet with the logos of each team he played for.
They also gave him something else he never had.
“It came as a surprise to me,” Kadri said of the rookie warm-up treatment that became fashionable long after his NHL debut.
“I haven’t been on the ice alone for a long time—I think I missed my first three shots on net.”
Fortunately, as he noted later, “everything went according to plan.”
“This tribute video almost made me cry, it was hard to hold it in,” Kadri said, showing off his new sparkly necklace.
“I tried to soak in every minute… and it was incredible to just see my parents and my wife and daughter and the people who really supported me on the ice.
“I can’t thank the Flames organization, the fans and my teammates enough for such a special day.”
There are rumors that Kadri might be done for soon, but that wasn't the talk Wednesday night.
It was about a guy from London who did it.
It was about how Aya rode with the flag and was not afraid.
It was about Sam and Sue, proud and emotional.
And we're talking about a player who did it the hard way, with fire, flair and family.
