In less than a week, Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri will have a book detailing his tremendous story of becoming an NHL player.
For those unaware, Kadri, who is of Lebanese descent, became the highest-ever Muslim player to be drafted when the Toronto Maple Leafs took him seventh overall in 2009. He has since been surpassed by Nail Yakupov in that regard but set an even bigger record when, as a member of the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, he became the first Muslim to win the Stanley Cup.
Kadri is also just the fourth Lebanese player in NHL history, further proving just how unique his path has been. The 34-year-old admitted he’s very excited for his novel, Dreamer: My Life on the Edge, to be released on October 15.
“It’s very cool. A very unique experience for myself,” Kadri said. “It’s something I’ve never really done before. It was cool to kind of reflect on my career thus far. I think it turned out really well.”
“You reflect on some of the great things and some of the negative things, but at the end of the day, you’re telling your story. That’s what makes it so unique. It was a lot of fun to do.”
As mentioned by Kadri, the book not only details his road to the NHL but also his plenty of experiences in the league. It doesn’t seem as though he held anything back, as one excerpt that has come out details him explaining some behind-the-scenes events that went on with Mike Babcock while he was the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After a tough first season in Calgary, Kadri quickly became a fan favourite in 2023-24 thanks to a team-leading 75 points. He’ll look to pick things up where he left off last season tonight, as the Flames are set to take on the Vancouver Canucks at 8 pm MT.
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