"It takes some time": Flames' Kadri has found comfort level in Calgary
Nazem Kadri is becoming more comfortable in his new surroundings.
The veteran forward, who signed a seven-year, $49 million deal during the 2022 offseason, had an average-at-best first season with the Calgary Flames. Any concerns about him as a player have quickly been erased, as he is right back to being the Kadri of old with an impressive 15 goals and 36 points through 44 games.
“It always takes some time once you join a new team to get acclimated to the new city, new personnel, different personalities. It takes some time to really form some chemistry. Now we’re starting to see that,” Kadri said in an exclusive interview with Daily Hive.
“Not just with myself, but with everybody, and we’re starting to have some on-ice success, which always makes things more fun. It’s definitely a comfort level thing; it takes some time. Some people are able to hop right into it, some not the case. It’s always nice for it to come later rather than never.”
There are plenty of reasons why the Flames have been playing better hockey as of late. One of them is Ryan Huska, who is in his first year as a head coach at the NHL level. His level-headed, calm demeanour behind the bench seems to be resonating well with his players.
“I think it’s been a fresh look for everybody,” Kadri explained. “Kind of rejuvenating, a little bit. [He’s helped] with understanding that when we’re playing together, we’re a tough team to beat. He’s certainly implemented that, and everyone’s bought in. All the players are bought in, which is always good to see. That’s a great dynamic to have for a team that is looking to compete.”
Along with his on-ice attributions, Kadri brings a different cultural background to the Flames. Recently, the 33-year-old, who is of Lebanese descent, partnered with Ritz Canada for a campaign called “all flavours welcome.” The campaignĀ is about celebrating diversity in food and turning moments of lunchbox anxiety into a celebration of cultural differences.
“It’s something that’s unique and obviously special to me because I’ve had my personal encounters and personal experiences with it,” Kadri said. “It’s a campaign that I truly believe in, which is always cool to be a part of.”
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Since entering the NHL, Kadri has been proud to embrace his heritage, helping raise awareness for several different initiatives. While he tends to shy away from talking about himself, it is evident that he takes great pride in using his platform to help benefit others who come from different backgrounds.
“I know obviously with my ethnicity, my unique background hockey history, it’s certainly different,” Kadri said. “I try not to think a whole lot about it because I just try to be myself, and hopefully people see the good in that, but it’s always nice to try and inspire the next generation and hopefully produce some more hockey players.”
Kadri’s love for hockey came from his dad, Samir, who has had a longtime passion for the game. Earlier this week, Samir was part of the father’s trip the Flames put on, which saw the dads and/or mentors of the players join the team on a two-game road trip with stops in Arizona and Las Vegas.
“It was a blast,” Kadri chuckled. “It always kind of brings you back to the good old days when we were younger and our dads were travelling with us all the time, having some fun at hockey tournaments or wherever we used to go. Now, to see him in that environment, have him see what we go through on a daily basis in terms of the preparation to do what we do, it’s always special to have him in attendance.”
Whether it be the luck of the dads or the team gaining more confidence, things are going quite well for the Flames right now. With their 3-2 overtime victory versus the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night, they have now won four straight outings. They will be looking to increase that number to five tonight as they take on one of Kadri’s former teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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