CALGARY – Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri has seen the dream of becoming an NHL player and winning a Stanley Cup realized and now, as always, he’s giving back.
Kadri celebrated playing his 1,000th NHL game in November and, as part of the pregame festivities, the Flames Foundation made a $50,000 donation to the Nazem Kadri Foundation, which subsequently donated $50,000 to the London (Ont.) Food Bank on Dec. 10 to help families in need during the holidays.
“The Flames, they’ve been very generous over the years I’ve been here in helping support my foundation and collaborating on a few occasions,” Kadri, a native of London, Ontario, told NHL.com. “It’s always nice to have people that really care and take pride in this sort of thing and we couldn’t be happier. It feels incredible. With the foundation, we’re just doing our part. Obviously, it’s where I’m from and the community I was raised around, so it’s always nice to give back to them.”
The Nazem Kadri Foundation also teamed up with the Flames Foundation to make a $50,000 donation to the Calgary Food Bank on Friday.
“I’m a part of the community here as well, so I just felt like it was as important to do that,” Kadri said. “The Flames were able to match what I gave, so we were able to double up the money and collaborate again. I think around this time of year, especially for the holidays, is the most important time to give back and that’s a thrilling feeling.”
Flames general manager Craig Conroy wasn’t surprised to hear that Kadri wanted to make an impact both in the community where he grew up and in the city where he now plies his trade.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Conroy said. “He’s just a good person – a competitive, great player – but off the ice just as good. I think people say, ‘I want to help,’ but he does. Whether it’s his time or financially, he always wants to do the right thing and help people and that’s pretty special.”
In his book Dreamer: My Life On The Edge, Kadri wrote that while he was playing for the London Junior Knights in the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario, that “the NHL was a distant mirage.”
While he worked hard to make that mirage a reality, Kadri said he never thought that he’d be able to give back the way that he’s been able to with his Foundation.
And Conroy has been impressed by Kadri’s giving spirit as well as by charitable endeavors spearheaded by other players on the Flames like MacKenzie Weegar and captain Mikael Backlund.
“So many of our guys give back,” Conroy said. “They come to us. It’s pretty special to watch these players come here and give back to the community and the way the community supports us, too. It’s a give and take, both sides.”
In another community initiative, Jonathan Huberdeau and Justin Kirkland teamed up to launch their J & J Powerplay program, which will support efforts to address food insecurity among Calgary’s youth through focused initiatives at The Youth Centres of Calgary locations in Forest Lawn and Ogden.
Kirkland, who was recalled by the Flames from the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League on Thursday, explained that he and Huberdeau wanted to figure out a way to make even more of a difference.
“It’s weird how it all works out, but Justin is here all the time, too,” Conroy said. “He knows the city and wants to be a part of it. And for ‘Huby’ to do it and for them to do it together, it’s special.”
For Kadri, the ability to give back is just another life goal reached.
“It’s always something I wanted to do,” said Kadri, who has racked up 741 points (315 goals, 426 points) in 1,020 career NHL contests with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche and Flames. “I wasn’t quite sure if I’d be given the platform and just being able to put it out there, but now the Nazem Kadri Foundation has been founded over a decade ago and we’ve been able to contribute millions of dollars to various beneficiaries and communities, so that’s one of the things I’m most proud of throughout my career.”
