By design, Nazem Kadri's Stanley Cup celebration will star the Muslim community in London, Ont.
CBC
Nazem Kadri will walk through the doors of the London Muslim Mosque in southwestern Ontario with the Stanley Cup this weekend as part of a hometown celebration the 31-year-old NHL star wanted by design.
Kadri, the only son of five children born in London to Lebanese parents, is believed to be the first Muslim player to win an NHL championship. It happened in June, when his then team, the Colorado Avalanche, beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the playoffs in June. After a long career with the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining Colorado, he's now with the Calgary Flames.
But before lacing up his skates for the western Canadian team, he'll take his turn hoisting the Cup, and is looking forward to doing that alongside the Muslim community in London. It all starts with an afternoon parade on Saturday.
"Most of this is for the youth, for the next generation, trying to inspire them, to see the shiny trophy, having the same dream that I did," Kadri told CBC News.
Longtime family friend Hassan Mostafa said starting the festivities at the mosque is a way for Kadri to involve the community that's meant so much to him.
"Nazem is proud of his Muslim heritage, and it was definitely on purpose that the Kadri family wanted to start the parade at the mosque," said Mostafa. "He's going to come out of the mosque with the Cup hoisted high and really show that you can be Muslim, you can be different, you can be of a different background and still have the best of success in a wonderful country like Canada."
Mostafa admitted that early on, he was skeptical when Kadri's father, Samir, said his young son was NHL bound.
"His dad would say, 'Yup, my son is going to the NHL,' and we really weren't sure that was a realistic goal, but he's proven us all wrong, and we're so proud of Nazem, and what he's accomplished and winning the Stanley Cup."
Kadri said he can't wait to hoist the Cup in London.
"I'm excited to have this opportunity to share with the community and with my family. I've been looking forward to it all summer, so I can't wait," he told CBC News.
"Youth hockey and junior hockey in London has come a long way and is pretty impactful in the community and in the London area. It all really taught me a lot of lessons about life."
It's an honour to be the first to do anything, Kadri said.
"It's very special. Growing up, watching the NHL, I didn't see anyone who looked like me or resembled my background, so the youth is going to look at this with a brighter light. I think it will draw in more diverse youth into the sport."
The road to winning the Stanley Cup hasn't been easy for Kadri, who spent his junior hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers and then the London Knights before being drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2009. At times in his career, he's had his ability questioned.
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