Flames’ Kadri Reflects On Journey To 1,000 NHL Games | After Hours

Flames’ Kadri Reflects On Journey To 1,000 NHL Games | After Hours

Cadri, he of 1,000 NHL career games. Actually played his 10,000th and fifth tonight, but we’re going to focus on the milestone 1000. Uh I think only what 5% of NHL players ever get there. So you were in exclusive company here at the Saddle Dome last week. Eric, take us through what that meant to you, that that whole celebration and the leadup into it. Um yeah, there’s there’s a lot of stuff going on. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little stressed out. So, uh, you know, obviously an incredible moment. Makes you reflect on your career and and think about, um, you know, who’s helped you get there to that point. And I mean, getting that silver stick is pretty surreal. So, it was, uh, man, what a night it was. And you were pretty surprised that it’s actually your your pattern, your curve, everything is the same except for the weight of the stick, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. It’s uh, I don’t know, maybe guys in the uh, 60s and 70s were were using that weight, but uh, certainly was heavy. I mean, it was uh it was my exact pattern, which I was pretty surprised with as well, but uh you know, very very pleasant surprise. So, you’re standing there with your family, your wife Ashley, your daughter Nila, and your parents Sam and Sue, and it sure looked to most of us like you had trouble holding it together as that career retrospective was played on the score clock. What were you thinking? Uh yeah, I was trying not to cry to be honest with you. It was very uh very emotional. Um obviously, it’s pieces of my entire career from start to finish. So, like I mentioned, I just uh you know, it’s not so much the actual clips. It’s it’s uh thinking about, you know, my coaches and my family, my friends, my elementary school teachers, and you know, everybody that’s been an influence in my career and my life. You know, Nasam, we can say this about you that you have a sense of occasion because you did score in your 10,000th career game. And uh we can all listen in because you were wearing a mic. [Applause] That’s all we needed. Got the puck. I’m okay. Thank you. Okay, so in our neverending search for hottake audio, I got to say that was just a little bit disappointing. You know, the end result is uh Rasmus Anderson says to you, “Do you want the puck?” You say, “No, I’m okay.” That’s what we get when you score in your 10,000th career game. That’s it. That’s all. I mean, uh, hey, it’s it’s, uh, obviously it was a big goal. It’s it’s not not one of the biggest I’ve ever scored. So, um, you know, honestly, he he got it for me anyways. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just thinking about the game, but could you tell I wanted that puck? I was calling for it my own own end. So, uh, on that twoon-one, Beaser made a great play over to me and, uh, just capped off an incredible night. All right, let’s go back to the start of the night and the starting lineup. Read beautifully by your daughter Nayla. Mac and cheese. Number 52. Wolf 32 and 91 Cadrey. [Applause] Obviously that is a special moment. Did you know it was going to happen? Um I did know. I did know. But is that not the cutest thing ever? Like I mean that’s uh that’s just incredible. And that was I mean it was so special the entire day. There was so many sequences that happened that I was just like wow. But that was um you know that was that was number one for me. The uh postgame press conference. Uh the scrum with you was a little different than we normally had. We had some guests kind of filling in between the media and yourself. Uh, let’s let’s show that because I thought that was pretty special, too. One more. Two more. Get in there. All right. I guess my hair. Anyone have any questions? No. No. Why do you Why do you get so slow? Your niece. She got She’s always triggering me. She was holding the flag. Well, she’s not afraid to ask the tough questions. And I’m I’m pretty sure we’re going to be hearing from a at some point in this business. the putter, Eric. The putters, this was a such a a surprising and nice touch. All your teammates got putters. Scotty Cameron, beautiful putters to commemorate the event. Two questions. One, is it a is it a commentary on how they all need to be better putters? And second, did you consider at any point in maybe giving a few to the media the media guys? Um, first part of the question, definitely. I was I majority of these guys in that dressing room need help on the greens. So that uh that was one thing that went through my mind and uh honestly I had a I had a nice golf connect. I figured it’d be something different and uh something unique and uh memorable just like you know all those guys made it memorable for me and I felt like I should uh reciprocate. But uh it was an expensive day for me. So unfortunately the media didn’t didn’t get any. So they got shafted a little bit. It’s too bad you have to wait for the next one. I thought it was interesting though Kuznet had been called up that day and you still managed to get him a putter. Yeah. What a guy. You have some sweet connections in there. I’d say it’s it’s everybody’s part of the team and I uh they came out on fire for me. So, I appreciated that. Nasam, your book Dreamer uh My Life on the Edge uh came out a year ago last month. It is the inspirational story of the first Muslim player to uh raise the Stanley Cup and uh the odds you and your family beat to get you to the NHL. How’s the book doing? Book’s doing great. Um who would have thought I’d be an author? going to be doing better now. Much better now. So, make sure you get your copies. But, uh, you know, of course, it was, uh, you know, what a what a great process to go through. I mean, I’m going to be honest with you, it was a little challenging, especially uh, the audio book was probably the most challenging thing for me is I don’t know how you guys are locked up in studios all day. I uh, I was driving myself crazy, but um, you know, what a treat just again to be able to reflect on my career and and uh, you know, gave a lot of shout outs in this book uh, deser deservingly so. I was thinking of a slogan that you could use to sell the book. If you don’t buy this book, you can kiss my ass. Well done. That’s a reference. That’s a reference to your your on ice commentary on the night that you won the Stanley Cup of Colorado in 2022 when you said that of people who uh might have thought you were a liability in the playoffs. Eric, you write in the book extensively, of course, about your family, your family’s history. And and your father Sam had a very famous story by Brian Burke. He likes to tell the odd story about you uh about how his father your father came up to him at the draft and said if my tr my son gives you any trouble punch him in the face and give me a call. When I talked to your dad Sam last week I said did you actually say that? He said I said slap. I said slap. But I guess the question is this. You know your dad talk a little bit about how he’s impacted your life and your career. Um yeah I mean obviously in a very positive way. I think that’s a true story. Um, you know, he did say that to Berky and B. Berkkey just ran with it. He loved it. He loved it. So, uh, he tells that story to this very day. I think it’s probably one of his favorite stories to tell about me along with probably a handful others. Um, so, uh, no, but instrumental in in my career, obviously getting me to to initially play the game of hockey and and, uh, you know, as you hockey parents know out there, it’s very, uh, you got to have a lot of discipline as a parent, not only as as the child, but as as the parent as well, have a lot of discipline and commitment to be able to, um, you know, give your kids that opportunity. So, um, very very thankful for that. Nazam, the book details uh your grandfather Nazam Kadri arriving in Canada from Lebanon in 1968 with his family in tow and your father Sam then just a kid obviously fell in love with the game right away but uh he couldn’t play it because it was beyond the family financially. Then when Sam had his family he and your mother Sue went above and beyond to keep you in the game. You were anything but a silver spoon kid in an expenses expensive sport. Tell us the Proline story. Yeah, I mean I I had to earn it. I had to earn it the hard way old school. So, uh you know the pro line story is uh when I was a kid um obviously you know going to tournaments and you got to spend lots of money and uh we were a little strapped. I think my old man ended up playing a pro line um game for all all you that know proine. Um it’s uh obviously it’s it’s involved with sports and he but pays big if it can pick end up ended ended up hitting a big ticket and was able to uh was able to get me through the weekend and pay for the hotels and all the food and uh you know that’s a story he didn’t tell me till till I got a lot older. I wasn’t quite uh you know sure at the time but you know what a story that just sums it all up and and you know it plays into my my point of having to have that commitment and discipline as uh you know as a parent. How was it then that Tom Cochran signaled that you would one day be an NHL player? Um, another story. Yeah. Yeah, that was uh I mean it was the day I was born. Of course, I don’t really remember it too well. So, uh I mean it’s uh it’s it’s coming from the second hand, but my dad on the way to the hospital. Um heard Tommy Cochran um big leagues, the song Big Leagues. Uh my boy’s going to play in the big league on the way to the hospital and and uh you know, sure enough, here I am in the big leagues. So, uh, Tommy Tommy Cochran, shout out TC. He’s become a friend of mine over the years and, uh, play some golf with him in the summertime. So, that’s, uh, it’s another great story. Okay. The book makes clear that your heroes as a kid, your hockey heroes as a kid were the London Knights and great players or good players from the surrounding area, and that would include Joe Thornton, who’s from St. Thomas. It’s only a half an hour away from London. Uh, Joe Thornton, recently minted Hall of Fame member. Did your childhood worship of Joe come into play as you were trimming his beard in that scrap of January 2018? Yeah, I mean, hey, who would have thought? That just goes to show you that’s just sums up my career right there. It’s uh you know, that was one of my favorite players. Next thing you know, I’m scrapping him. That was that was opening face off of the game. You know, I was uh practically just coming off my nap and Jumbo wanted to scrap me, but uh you know, he was what a competitor he was. recently inducted to the Hall of Fame. So, uh there’s the beard. Yeah, that was that did not feel good in my hands. Let’s just let’s put it that way. And uh I loved your postgame reaction. Somebody asked you about it and you said, “I don’t know what happened. How should I know? I’m not a barber. I’m a hockey player.” You know what? Joe does a pretty good job grooming that thing. So, I think it was hopefully it was clean. All right. Uh we have to talk about your situation with the Flames. And when teams struggle the way the Flames have to start the season, it’s natural that older players become the subject of trade rumors. And Eric Francis has the question. Well, just I I thought this might be the perfect platform for you to kind of uh set the record straight and and and make an announcement one way or the other in terms of where you were leading in terms of your future. I’m kidding, but you know, we wanted to address it. I thought I’d give you the opportunity, but we’re going there. We’re going there. Well, we we would be remiss if we didn’t. Yeah, we’ll just throw it to you. You’re so good at at uh being in the spotlight, answering the tough questions. Nothing phases you. Go ahead and tell us what your thoughts are. Well, I appreciate the heads up, too, and I understand you guys got to ask those tough questions, but uh you know, at the end of the day, that’s that’s just the nature of the business, right? I mean, it’s you win, talk about who’s coming back, you lose, they talk about who’s going. So, that’s uh you know, it’s relatively simple in the sports business, and that’s just a business about getting results. So, um, you know, obviously for as a player, it’s it’s hard to, uh, or it’s easy to get distracted by that. But, um, you know, I think for me, I I just I always tell myself to try to be in the moment and stay in the moment and give everything I got, um, and get ready for tomorrow. By all accounts, both your parents told me you’re thrilled. You love Calgary and you love being a Calgary Flame. I I I sure do. I sure do. I mean, these uh, these fans have been nothing but great to me and uh, the organization has embraced me. So, uh, you know, obviously it’s pretty early in the season and, uh, you know, we’ll, uh, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there. There was a report last week that said the owner of the Flames had no interest in you being traded. The report also said that you and your family love it here in Calgary. So, at least you’ve confirmed that. All right. Uh, you have delivered since the Flames signed you uh, three or four years ago, in particular last year with a career-high uh, 35 goals, and some of those were spectacular. As we look at a collection of them, this question from Jake uh Fredon, uh even after a thousand games, how are you able to keep a level of consistency at such a high level? So, a competitive edge or love of the game? Um yeah, I mean, he’s uh it’s it’s really a passion, you know, I’m I feel more uh driven and determined as ever to uh to win. And uh you know I think that’s what that’s what drives me is you know a great sense of um you know motivation and pride and obviously you got to look after your body and you know I’m on the medical table quite quite often and just trying to um be as mobile as possible and and you know again I I got uh you know a great team that I work with that you know allows me to um be ready and continue to play this this game I love. In recognition of your thousandth game, the Flames made a $50,000 donation to the Nasam Cadri Foundation. Uh last time we had you on this program a couple years ago, we talked at some length about the foundation and uh it includes the Nasmodri Surgical Center, which was made possible by a personal donation of a million dollars uh from you. Give us an update on the foundation and its work. Oh, yeah. I mean, these are great clips. I’m happy you guys threw this in there. So, uh you know, obviously that’s something I hold close to my heart. started. Osman Cadry Foundation was started nearly when I uh came into the NHL and that’s one of the things that’s grown and that that I’ve become most uh most proud of. So, um shout out to the committee back home. I know they’ll be watching this and uh you know, anything we can do to to um to help out is uh is done. So, um a great team and and I’m just thankful and I have a lot of gratitude to be able to have that platform to to do something like that. Well, it’s great work. It includes Ronald McDonald House, food banks, hospice, uh, all worthy causes. You’re making the world a better place. We’ll finish with this. Uh, when it became clear around London, Ontario that you were a special hockey player as a kid, you acquired a nickname. What was it? Um, there’s a few of them. Phenas the dream. Nazim the dream. Yeah, the dream. That’s when that’s actually when nobody could pronounce my name. Yeah. Nobody knew how to pronounce my name and everybody uh you know would would play play that spin on it. So uh you know obviously it doesn’t quite rhyme but uh Nazim the dream does. Yeah that does but but that’s that’s not my name. You should you should have stuck with it. Yeah but I I mean I I I continue to to uh keep the dream and uh most people seem to like it and I don’t I don’t mind it either. All right. Perfect. That’s where we’ll leave it. Thanks Naz. All right. Good to have you. Appreciate it, man. Thank you. Nazam Kadri 16 seasons. uh 1,000 NHL games and now he’s working on 2,000.

Calgary Flames’ Nazem Kadri joins Sportsnet’s Scott Oake and Eric Francis on After Hours to discuss his 1,000th NHL game, those who helped along the way, stepping stones throughout his path to pro hockey, the release of his new book, and more.
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