The 31-year-old won the Cup in June as a member of the Colorado Avalanche and is believed to be the first member of his faith to become an NHL champion. On Saturday, Kadri said to include the Muslim community in the celebration, telling the crowd gathered at the mosque that they were essential to his development as a hockey player and as a person. The magic moment: Kadri brings the cup through the front doors of the London mosque. pic.twitter.com/d8XkhhfmF5 —@AndrewLuptonCBC “You guys have been supporting me since day one, which I always appreciate,” Kadri told the hundreds gathered at the mosque on Oxford Street West. “These are the streets I grew up on, this is the mosque I used to come to, and everything seemed to come full circle. I’m very grateful, very privileged and honored to be the first Muslim to bring the Stanley Cup to the mosque. It’s a big case. That is something I will always respect and remember.”
“He’s been cheering me on since the first day I put on skates”
Kadri was born and raised in London. He also played two years of junior hockey with the London Knights before being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009. He played seven seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Avalanche in 2019. “My friends and family here, they’ve been cheering me on since the first day I put on skates, and that’s very inspiring and very motivating,” he said. “I couldn’t be more grateful to share this moment with you. London, Ontario…we are Stanley Cup champions.” Many of the speakers acknowledged that London’s Muslim community—numbering around 30,000—continues to suffer from an attack on June 6, 2021, that killed four members of a Muslim family while out for a walk. Police said the family was deliberately mangled as they stood on a pavement in a hate-motivated attack. Dr. Munir El-Kassem, Imam at the Islamic Center of Southwestern Ontario, spoke at the mosque and addressed the murders of four members of the Afzaal family, an event that brought politicians to the steps of the same mosque days after the attack at a vigil to denounce the hatred and violence. “We are witnessing a lot of capital in these steps,” El-Kasem said. “Most of these chapters have dealt with tragedies, the last of which will stay with us forever. But we are a strong community learning how to cope. Today we go from that chapter to a chapter of convenience that is a gift from the almighty God.” Country thanked London, where he says his friends and family members have always supported him on his journey to becoming an NHL player. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Kanri endured racism, Islamophobia
Some of the speakers also mentioned that Kadri himself had to address racism and Islamophobia just this spring during the Colorado playoffs. Many of those who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Kadri said they had been watching him for years. Many are young hockey players from Muslim families who were inspired to take up the game by watching the forward’s ascent. This fan is a teacher in this Islamic school. Country signed her stick. pic.twitter.com/5oNbRzJP2w —@AndrewLuptonCBC Alia Oozeer-Arfeen said she showed up at the mosque to meet Kadri and have him sign her hockey stick, which he did. “It’s a very exciting and exciting feeling to be here,” he said. “This is something that the Muslim community can certainly celebrate. This is something that will inspire this community … that anything is possible.” Kadri will have a chance to connect with another Muslim community when the NHL season begins this fall. Last week, he signed a free agent deal with the Calgary Flames. From the mosque, the Stanley Cup traveled in a parade downtown. Fans lined the streets, many wearing jerseys from Kadri’s previous teams, including the London Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. In the park, an estimated crowd of over 1,000 sat outside in the sun to watch the celebration. Upon arriving at Victoria Park, Kadri received the key to the city from Mayor Ed Holder. Here Kadri brings the Cup to the mosque. Hundreds here join in the celebration pic.twitter.com/wIFSDRzrZL —@AndrewLuptonCBC
