Copyright sportskeeda
The Calgary Flames celebrated forward Nazem Kadri’s 1,000th NHL game in a pre-game ceremony at the Scotiabank Saddledome this week honoring the veteran centre’s milestone with his family and fans in attendance.Kadri was joined on the ice by his wife Ashley, daughter Naylah and his parents Sam and Sue Kadri during the ceremony. The tribute featured a highlight video of his career, a standing ovation from the home crowd and the presentation of a commemorative silver stick from Flames ownership. The team also announced a $50,000 donation to the Nazem Kadri Foundation which supports mental-health initiatives in Canada.On Thursday, Ashley shared a photo from the ceremony on her Instagram story which was later reposted by Kadri, writing”“Still such a pinch-me moment. So incredibly proud of my husband!”“Also PSA: that silver stick is HEAVY,” read the note in the caption.via Instagram /@43kadriInside the Flames’ locker room, Kadri received several personal gifts from teammates and staff including a diamond-studded ‘1000’ necklace and a bracelet engraved with the logos of every team he has represented. His daughter Naylah also announced the team’s starting lineup before the game in the locker room.Kadri marked the milestone night with a goal in Calgary’s 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, his 311th career tally.Nazem Kadri opens up on ‘emotional’ night at Scotiabank SaddledomeSpeaking during a first-intermission interview, Nazem Kadri described the night as emotional and unforgettable saying he was grateful to share it with his loved ones and glad once the puck finally dropped.“It was great, I mean fantastic. It was very emotional. It was kind of about time we got the show on the road, so I was happy for the puck to drop. But, incredible, nonetheless, to have my family out there with me.”Before puck drop, Kadri took a solo lap around the ice drawing loud cheers from the home crowd before his teammates joined him wearing identical No. 91 jerseys in his honour. The Flames also arrived at the rink in custom Kadri T-shirts and forward Ryan Lomberg carried a copy of Kadri’s memoir “Dreamer: My Life on the Edge” as part of the pre-game tribute.Kadri also admitted he hadn’t expected the commemorative silver stick to be as heavy as it was, joking that he nearly dropped it.“I was not ready, it was so heavy," Kadri said. "It was so heavy I almost dropped it. I’m going to have to put that in a safe place."During the on-ice ceremony, Flames general manager Craig Conroy and Kadri’s father presented the veteran centre with a custom painting by a local artist, while teammate Blake Coleman surprised Kadri’s daughter Naylah with her own mini silver stick.The 35-year-old forward, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, was drafted 7th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009 and is currently on a seven-year $49 million contract with Calgary signed in August 2022.
