Kadri brings Stanley Cup to mosque in London, Ontario

LONDON, Ontario -- When Nazem Kadri stepped to the stage with the Stanley Cup in front of the London Muslim Mosque before a crowd of thousands Saturday, he said what many in the crowd surely were thinking:

"This is a big deal."
And it was in so many ways for Kadri, for those who attend the London Muslim Mosque, for the Muslim community at large and for the city of London.
Beginning his day with the Stanley Cup at the same mosque his grandfather began attending after emigrating from Lebanon in 1968 and the same mosque the forward attended while growing up in London, Kadri made history. It is believed to be the first time the Stanley Cup has visited a mosque.
"As I sit here and reflect, I'm a London boy, these are the streets I grew up on, this is the mosque I used to come to and everything seems to have come full circle," Kadri said. "I'm very appreciative, privileged and honored to be the first-ever Muslim to be able to bring the Stanley Cup to the mosque. That's something I'm always going to respect and always going to remember.
"It's part of my background, part of my roots and part of who I am. There's a reason why I brought it out and showcased it because I think the community deserves it. They've been cheering me on from the start, so I wanted to share it with everybody."
For the assembled crowd -- Muslims and non-Muslims alike -- in front of the mosque on a closed Oxford Street, it was a moment to rejoice and come together as one, and celebrate the inclusiveness Kadri and his family try to promote.
"I think that's an important part and especially with Islamophobia in this day and age," said Kadri's father, Samir. "We just wanted to connect with everybody and say, 'Listen, we're no different. We all have the same concerns, we all have the same commitments, we all work hard in our community to make it better and we need to work harder to make it better, and that we need to get rid of ignorance in our society.'"
The Muslim community in London is still reeling from an attack on June 6, 2021, when four people from the same family were killed and another was wounded when a man rammed a pickup truck into pedestrians at an intersection in the city. Investigators said it was a hate-motivated attack.
Not long after, the community came together at the London Muslim Mosque to grieve. A religious leader who spoke at Kadri's celebration said that the Quran says, "God will create ease after hardship."
London Mayor Ed Holder said, "This has been a site where we have all gathered in tears, this has been a place where we have all gathered in prayers, and now today, it's a joyous celebration where we get smiles, laughs and our Stanley Cup champion Nazem Kadri."
Kadri was targeted with racist and hate-filled remarks online after Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues was injured in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round when he was knocked over by Blues teammate Calle Rosen and Kadri, then of the Colorado Avalanche. Binnington missed the remainder of the series, which was won by the Avalanche in six games.
London resident Nawaz Tahir, who attended the celebration with his young son and daughter, said it was a much-needed positive boost for the Muslim community in the city and a great opportunity for his children to be inspired.
"It's a huge, huge moment for our community, a community that has been through so much tragedy recently," Tahir said. "So to come together for a happy event, to celebrate one of our own who was raised here and is part of our community, it's important to see that and be a part of that. It shows our kids that anything is possible no matter what the color of your skin is or what your religion is, you can reach the top and be whatever you want to be and accomplish everything you want."
Kadri said that is why he wanted to share his day with the Stanley Cup with as many people as possible.
"That's the goal at the end of the day, to try to inspire and motivate our youth," Kadri said. "I have kids myself and I know the young generation is looking for role models, so I do the best I can and I'm just happy I get to share it with everybody."
Following the visit to the mosque, Kadri rode atop a vintage firetruck for a 1.5-mile parade through London waving to well-wishers before arriving at the band shell at Victoria Park, where thousands more awaited.
"So there was an ice rink literally right in front of the stage [where we are right now] that I used to skate on," Kadri said. "I must have been 6 or 7 years old, so it's kind of all hitting me now. It's so great to see everybody here and it's funny how it all kind of comes around full circle."
Among those awaiting him were Mark and Dale Hunter, co-owners of London of the Ontario Hockey League, the team Kadri played with for his final two OHL seasons (2008-10). Holder and Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan presented Kadri with a key to the city.
"It's incredible. It's a dream come true," Kadri said. "I did not expect this kind of turnout, so I'm very grateful for all these supporters. To start at the mosque and finish here, it's a beautiful day, which is the cherry on top.
"It's starting to sink in for sure. It's surreal, I feel so honored to be able to represent the city."
Samir Kadri said of the experience, "It is hard to process because it's like a dream come true. I feel like I'm in a dream but it's reality if that makes any sense. We are just honored, privileged and very humbled. It's unbelievable to be able to celebrate it with our community."
Kadri, who became an unrestricted free agent after winning the Cup with the Avalanche, signed a seven year, $49 million contract ($7 million average annual value) with the Calgary Flames on Aug. 18. He said he is intent on having another parade soon.
"To see this outcome, to see everybody out here and supporting me just inspires and motivates me even more," Kadri said, "so we're going to try to run this thing back now that I'm in Calgary."