While he didn’t score an invite to orientation camp, Nazem Kadri hasn’t lost hope that he has a shot to crack Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Calgary Flames’ top-line centre made that clear-as-can-be after Thursday’s opening training-camp practice at the Saddledome.
“Hell yeah, I would love to be a part of that team, obviously,” Kadri said. “I’m sure a lot of guys would. That’s probably a pretty popular answer.
“The fact of the matter is, Canada has a lot of good hockey players and just to be considered is a privilege. But you’re going to have to have a great start to the season and continue to compete. That’s something I’m used to, so I’ve got no problem with that.”
Kadri, who sniped a career-high 35 goals for the Flames in the 2024-25 campaign, was one of the more notable omissions as Team Canada invited 42 NHL stars to orientation camp last month in Calgary.
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But general manager Doug Armstrong revealed that week “we have another longer list of players that are eligible, another 50 players we’re going to scout,” and Kadri has received word that he’s among those still on the radar for a trip to Milano-Cortina in February.
For the 34-year-old from London, Ont., that simply adds another layer of motivation to get off to a scorching start with the Flames. He most recently represented his country at the world championship tournament in 2014.
“Yep, long list. Not really quite sure what that means,” Kadri said with a grin. “But I guess I’ve got a chance and that’s all you want. You just want to be considered and give yourself an opportunity.
“I love the competition, so it’s going to be fun, not only for that but from a team standpoint, to get off to a good start.”