CALGARY — Surrounded by his daughter and a handful of giddy nieces and nephews, Nazem Kadriâ€s post-game scrum was interrupted by a tiny voice.
“Why do you skate so slow?†Was the ask.
It had come from Aya, his eight-year-old niece, who skated alongside the man of the hour as the pre-game flag bearer for his 1,000th game celebration Wednesday.
A week earlier, when asked in Toronto if she was nervous about the assignment, she shot back with an emphatic, “no!â€
Thatâ€s Kadri confidence — inherited, unshakeable, and apparently, generational.
Brian Burke tells the story of the kid he drafted seventh overall as a young Maple Leafs hopeful who parked in the fire lane for one practice.
While Kadri shrugged it off, explaining he was late, Burke wanted to tone the youngsterâ€s swagger down a tad, sentencing him to a month of parking in the farthest spot from the rink.
Kadri never parked illegally again.
You get the sense heâ€ll never put his confidence in neutral. Itâ€s who he is.
Itâ€s not arrogance, itâ€s conviction — the kind that has carried him through 16 years of NHL trials and tribulations, six suspensions, a trade he didnâ€t want, and a 2022 Stanley Cup win that ended with a mic-drop message to his critics: “For everyone that thought I was a liability in the playoffs, you can kiss my ass.â€
Yet, for a London, Ont. lad who has seen and done plenty through his 1,000-game run, you certainly get the sense his milestone celebration Wednesday night lands somewhere right near the top of his career.
Flanked by a large contingent of family members who have helped keep him grounded through the ups and downs of his emotional journey, he capped a touching pre-game ceremony and silver stick presentation with a goal in a 5-1 win for the Calgary Flames.
How perfectly on brand for him to rise to the occasion.
Citing his daughterâ€s reading of the starting lineup as his favourite moment, the magic of being surrounded by those who mattered most — friends, family and teammates — topped a day he had been thinking of, and planning, for months.
The kid who thought he could park anywhere he wanted has come a long way.
“Heâ€s definitely much more mature,†said his father, Sam, beaming with pride over his little boy who is now a leader in the dressing room and the Muslim community.
“His drive has always been there, but perhaps heâ€s a little more driven. Genetically, I got stronger in my late 30s, and I think heâ€s gonna be the same. Thatâ€s why heâ€s still producing. Itâ€s pretty cool to see and watch.â€
“Itâ€s a pretty rare milestone. Only 5 per cent of the NHL has done it.â€
No one has seen Kadriâ€s maturation and growth more intensely than his mom, Sue.
“They always say boys take longer to mature so, when he was in his 20’s, I would always say to him, ‘Naz, if I could just give 10 years out of my life to get you there…â€â€ she began. Â
“So, on his 30th birthday we were all celebrating and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and he turned to me and said, ‘Mom, we did it, Iâ€m 30 now.â€â€
“Iâ€m just so proud. Heâ€s so humble.â€
Soon after being drafted in 2009, Kadri quickly became one of Torontoâ€s most polarizing figures.Â
Burke remembers the draft day well, telling the story for years that Sam pulled him aside and said, “If my son gives you any problems, give him a punch in the face and call me.â€
Sam insists with a smile he said “slap,†not “punch,†but the message was clear: hold him accountable.
Astonishing to many is how well heâ€s stickhandled through racism, controversy, criticism and suspensions, coming out the other side stronger and wiser.
“Nazem never lets anything bother him — at least he never shows it,†said Mom.
“He just tries to go out there and show the opposite. ‘Iâ€m just going to show everybody what I can do, and this is what I am.â€â€
Kadriâ€s humility is matched by his fire, but gone are the days he crossed the line.
“Heâ€s still emotional, but heâ€s learned to hide it more,†said Sam.
“He still hates to lose.â€
Sure does, admits the 35-year-old.
“I donâ€t really have a switch where I can turn it on or off,†said Kadri.
“Once you start keeping score itâ€s on for me. Thatâ€s always something that has driven me and helped through my career.â€
Kadri never would have believed early in his NHL days heâ€d join 406 other NHLers to hit the 1,000-game milestone, or that heâ€d be the only other Flame to score in his big game since Martin Gelinas turned the trick in 2003.
But there he was, starting the day with a big-league gift exchange that saw Kadri give every teammate a customized Scotty Cameron putter.
His teammates gave him a diamond-encrusted necklace bearing the number 1,000 and a bracelet featuring logos of every team heâ€s played for.
They also gave him something else heâ€s never had.
“That came as a surprise to me,†said Kadri of the warmup rookie treatment that came into vogue long after he made his NHL debut.
“I hadnâ€t been on the ice alone like that in a long time — I think I missed my first three shots on net.â€
Thankfully, as he pointed out afterward, “everything went according to plan.â€
“That video tribute almost made me cry, it was tough to kind of hold it together,†said Kadri, sporting his sparkly new necklace.
“I tried to soak in every single minute… and it was incredible just to have my parents on the ice, my wife and daughter and people that have really supported me.
“I canâ€t thank the Flames organization and the fan base and my teammates enough for such a special day.â€
Speculation swirls that Kadri could be dealt soon, but Wednesday night wasnâ€t about that.
It was about a kid from London who made it.
It was about Aya skating with a flag, unafraid.
It was about Sam and Sue, proud and emotional.
And itâ€s about a player whoâ€s done it the hard way, with fire, flair, and family.
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