Nazem Kadri brings the Stanley Cup home. First stop: The London Muslim Mosque

LONDON, Ont.—At the raised podium in front of the London Muslim Mosque, Nazem Kadri put the microphone down, reached for the Stanley Cup trophy, hoisted it up and kissed it, sending an admiring crowd into a lengthy frenzied cheer.

He was, practically speaking, home.

“These are the streets I grew up on, this is the mosque I used to come to, and everything’s just seemed to come around full circle,” the 31-year-old said Saturday as he continued his summer-long celebrations after becoming an NHL champion with the Colorado Avalanche in June.

Kadri may not have been the first NHL player from London, Ont., to become a champion, but he was the first Muslim player to achieve the feat.

“I’m very appreciative, very privileged and honoured … It’s a big deal,” he told hundreds of people who showed up for the parade, vowing to never let the community down and to continue to represent London wherever he goes.

He said it was important for him to start the celebration at the mosque because it’s an important part of his roots in the community.

“I know a lot of people here,” he said. “They have been cheering me on since the first day I put on skates, and that’s something for me that was very inspiring and very motivating.

“London, Ontario, we are the Stanley Cup champions.”

Many of the smiling people at the Saturday event gathered at the same mosque just over a year ago in stark contrast, mourning the death of four people from the same family who had been killed by a truck driver in what police have qualified as a targeted terrorism attack against the Muslim family. According to information from the search warrant applications that were unsealed by the court, police found hate-related material on electronic devices that were recovered from the house of the accused.

The tragic incident highlighted a long history of racist attacks that have been directed toward the Muslim community.

Kadri and his family have faced online racists attacks. As he was competing in the playoffs this past May, Kadri’s wife shared a series of hateful insults directed toward them through the family’s Instagram account. Kadri has previously said he has been subjected to racist attacks since he was a child but vowed to never let that deter him from his goal of achieving success at the highest level.

Kadri was drafted by Toronto in 2009, and spent a decade with the Maple Leafs before a trade to Colorado. He signed a seven-year, $49-million (U.S.) contract with the Calgary Flames earlier this month.

Kadri’s perseverance is an example of what is possible for younger generations, said Sam Maddaoui, Kadri’s uncle, proudly wearing his nephew’s jersey. “I don’t care what your background is, don’t ever lose faith.”

Speaking from inside the mosque before the parade kicked off, Imam Munir El-Kassem said he felt “extremely elated” because Kadri’s story sends a strong message to the community to dream big and have hope. “This young man, I knew him since he was a baby and I know that his parents worked consistently hard,” he said.

More importantly, he stressed, the fact Kadri brought the Stanley Cup to the same place where people had gathered recently in mourning shows life is worth striving for through the ups and downs.

“We will never forget that tragedy but we will learn to cope with it,” said El-Kassem. “As God tells us, with every difficulty there is ease.”

Kadri was flanked by his immediate family and close friends. He took the time to hug and high-five people, sign autographs and pose for pictures with a multitude of admiring fans. As “We Are the Champions” was blasted through loudspeakers, the small parade trekked from the mosque to Victoria Park, where an even bigger crowd had gathered to welcome the local hero.

London mayor Ed Holder presented Kadri with a key to the city, the first he has given out since becoming mayor in 2018. He praised Kadri and his family for their charitable work in the community, an inspiration to all the minor hockey players to achieve greater goals.

“Thank you for allowing all of us to share this wonderful memory with you,” the mayor said.

Kadri thanked many people who helped him throughout his career. He said he had to go through a lot of “maturing” to get to this level and spoke about the importance of value, discipline and hard work.

“That’s the goal at the end of the day, just try to inspire and motivate the youth,” he said. “I know that young generations are looking for role models, so I do the best I can, and I’m just happy I get to share this with everybody.”