That hasn't always been the case.
"Believe it or not, I went to a tournament there when I was just a young kid of 10 or 11 and forgot that important piece of equipment," the Toronto Maple Leafs forward said during training camp on Sunday. "Helmets are kind of important, you know.
"Fortunately, my mom came to the rescue."
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Nazem's mother Sue made the 17-mile drive south to the family home in London, where she picked up her son's helmet and returned to Lucan in time for the game.
"I was playing for the London Junior Knights AAA team at the time," Kadri said. "Hey, I've always been kind of forgetful."
Luckily the Maple Leafs equipment staff will ensure history doesn't repeat itself when Toronto faces the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN) in the first 2018 preseason game for both teams.
"Now I don't have to worry about having to pack it -- they bring it for me. It'll be there and they'll have a spare for me too," Kadri said before breaking into laughter.
Kraft Hockeyville Canada will be a special event for Kadri, who will have his own cheering section in Lucan.
Kadri is a London native and played all of his minor hockey in the region. He played for London of the Ontario Hockey League for two seasons (2008-09, 2009-10) and had 171 points (60 goals, 111 assists) in 112 games.
"It's a great hockey area," Kadri, 27, said. "And for a town like Lucan, it will be a thrill. It's a good facility, a good tournament city. They love their hockey there. It's a small community, intimate.
"I'm sure there will be lots of friends and family in attendance. I'm sure they'll be fired up. That's what makes it special. You don't know how often something like this is going to happen. When it does happen, you have to take advantage of it."
Kadri said players should embrace such an experience that brings you back to your hockey roots.
"Me personally, I love doing stuff like this," he said. "I love putting smiles on people's faces. If it was up to me, I would have wanted to play in this game anyway whether the coaches decided to put me in or not.
"We don't do things like this very often so it's going to be special."
