Nazem Kadri : Stanley Cup | Champion | News | Stats

Nazem Kadri walked out the front doors of London Muslim Mosque and hoisted the Stanley Cup as he celebrated winning hockey’s trophy.

Nazem Kadri : Stanley Cup | Champion | News | Stats

Kadri was born on October 6, 1990, in London, Ontario, the second of five children and the only son born to Sam and Sue Kadri. His grandparents were born in Kfar Danis, Lebanon, and moved to Ontario when Kadri’s father was four years old.

Sam Kadri wanted to play hockey during his adolescence, but his family could not afford for their son to play. When Nazem was born, his father decided that he should have the opportunity to play the sport.

Kadri began ice skating at the age of two, joined his first hockey team when he was four years old, and was playing at the elite level within the next two years.

The Kadri family also attended National Hockey League (NHL) games; despite living near Toronto, they supported the Montreal Canadiens.

Nazem Kadri Stanley Cup 

Nazem Kadri walked out the front doors of the London Muslim Mosque on Saturday and hoisted the Stanley Cup as he celebrated winning hockey’s highest trophy with his hometown community.

The 31-year-old won the Cup in June as a member of the Colorado Avalanche and is believed to be the first member of his faith to become an NHL champion.

On Saturday, Kadri made a point of including the Muslim community in the celebration, telling the crowd gathered at the mosque they were essential to his development as a hockey player, and a person. 

Champion 

Stanley Cup champion Nazem Kadri on Saturday told that being the first Muslim NHL player to bring the trophy to a mosque “means a lot,” saying it was an absolute privilege and honour.

He also thanked those who showed up to support him in London, Ont. as he brought the Cup to “the streets I used to walk,” and was happy to share the moment with so many.

“Any time you can be the first to do anything really, is quite an achievement,” said the centre, who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining Colorado. “This one’s going down in the history books, which is something that’s very special and very cool to me.

“I used to tell my teachers all the time I was going to the NHL,” he recalled in an interview with CBC News. “They just told me to keep doing my homework.”

Nazem Kadri news

There’s been quite a bit of turnover when it comes to the Calgary Flames during the offseason.

For new Flames center Nazem Kadri, he’s a huge fan of the direction that the franchise is heading.

On Thursday, Kadri, who was the top remaining free agent on the market, signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Flames after spending the last three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

“It’s certainly an elaborate process and took some time,” Kadri said during a press conference on Friday. “Calgary was always been a team that has been interested since Day 1, which is always something that I’ve respected and acknowledged.

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