Nazem Kadri

Kadri grew up playing minor hockey for the London Jr. Knights of the MHAO's AAA Pavilion League. He was a key member of MHAO championship teams at the Peewee, Bantam and Minor Midget levels before moving onto the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2006–07. He participated in the 2003 All-Ontario Peewee Championships in Markham, Ontario, as well as the 2005 All-Ontario Bantam Championships in Thunder Bay.

Nazem Kadri played with the London Knights for his final two seasons in juniors.

Kadri began his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers after being selected in the first round, 18th overall, of the 2006 OHL Priority Selection.[3] During his second season in the OHL, he played 68 games, recording 25 goals and 40 assists (65 points).[4] During that year's playoffs, Kadri helped the Rangers to an OHL Championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup final, where they lost to the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL).[5]

After the 2007–08 season, Kadri was traded to the London Knights (his hometown team) in exchange for several draft picks.[6] He played in 56 games for the Knights in 2008–09, recording 25 goals and 53 assists (78 points).[4] Kadri was sidelined during the 2008–09 season when he suffered a broken jaw.[7] He was selected to play for Team OHL in the ADT Canada Russia Challenge, but was unable to participate due to the jaw injury.[8] Kadri was later invited to the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team's selection camp for the 2009 World Junior Championships but did not make the final roster.[7] Also during the 2008–09 season, Kadri was chosen to play in the OHL All-Star Classic, where he suited-up for the Western Conference and scored one goal.[9]

After the 2008–09 OHL season, Kadri was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.[10] He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the club on July 6, 2009.[11]

After being cut from the Maple Leafs, Kadri returned to play for the Knights in the OHL. He was selected to play for Team OHL in the 2009 Subway Super Series (renamed from the ADT Canada Russia Challenge).[12] He was also selected to represent the Western Conference in the 2009–10 OHL All-Star Classic, his second appearance in the OHL's All-Star Game in as many seasons.[13] On March 30, 2010, Kadri was named the CHL Player of the Week after recording nine points (two goals and seven assists) in three games.[14] The OHL named Kadri the league's Player of the Month for April 2010, a month in which he recorded 26 points (9 goals and 17 assists) in 10 games.[15]

Kadri attended training camp with the Maple Leafs prior to the 2009–10 season. He played in six pre-season games with the club, in which he recorded three goals and two assists. Then-Toronto head coach Ron Wilson had said prior to training camp that Kadri would need to be one of the team's top-six forwards to make the club; Kadri was ultimately returned to the Knights prior to the start of the NHL regular season.[16]

Kadri on the bench (centre) with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, in the 2011–12 season.

Due to injuries to forwards Christian Hanson and Fredrik Sjöström, Kadri was called-up to the Maple Leafs under an emergency basis, making his NHL debut on February 8, 2010, against the San Jose Sharks. He did not register any points and finished with a −1 plus-minus rating.[17] This was a one-game-only call-up, and he subsequently returned to the London Knights following the game. Ron Wilson said that he would most likely be with the Maple Leafs for the 2010–11 season, though this was in doubt after comments made by both Wilson and then-Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke during the pre-season, indicating that Kadri had not played to the level they expected and was "running out of time" to prove himself.[18][19] In addition, Burke was traditionally a strong supporter of rookies gaining experience at the American Hockey League (AHL) level prior to NHL careers.[20] Kadri was included in the Maple Leafs' last round of cuts, and was subsequently sent to the AHL's Toronto Marlies for the start of the season. However, on November 12, Kadri was called-up by the Maple Leafs (along with fellow prospect Keith Aulie).[21] On November 16, in a game against the Nashville Predators, Kadri recorded his first NHL point, assisting on a goal by Kris Versteeg.[22] Two days later, on November 18, Kadri recorded his first multi-point night with two assists in a game against the New Jersey Devils.

Kadri in 2012.

On March 19, 2011, against goaltender Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins, Kadri scored his first career NHL goal. Kadri was named to the AHL All-Star Game in 2012. Prior to 2012–13 season, Kadri began training under former NHL player and Maple Leaf Gary Roberts over the summer to gain muscle and "play more explosively".[23] On January 19, 2013, when NHL play resumed after the 2012–13 NHL lockout cancelled much of the first half of the scheduled regular season, Kadri made the starting roster for the Maple Leafs in their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens. He would score the first Maple Leafs goal of the season with a powerplay mark assisted by Phil Kessel against goaltender Carey Price. Kadri finished the game named the game's first star. One month later, in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kadri had his first NHL fight, engaging with Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman. With the Maple Leafs losing 4–1 late in the game, Hedman delivered a cross-check to the back of Kadri, who then confronted the 6'6" defenceman. Punches were then exchanged before teammates and officials broke up the fight. On February 28, in a 5–4 win against the New York Islanders, Kadri scored his first career hat-trick.[24] On March 30, he scored his second career hat-trick, and second of the season, in a 4–0 win over the Ottawa Senators.[25] He would finish the season with 18 goals and 26 assists, finishing second only to Phil Kessel for the team lead in points and goals. On May 4, Kadri scored his first Stanley Cup playoff point, recording an assist on a goal by Kessel after Kadri sprung him on a breakaway. On May 13, he scored his first playoff goal against the Boston Bruins in Game 7.

On September 11, 2013, Kadri signed a new two-year, $5.8 million contract with Toronto. On November 13, 2013, Kadri delivered an elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Bäckström. As a result, the NHL's Department of Player Safety issued Kadri a three-game suspension.[26] During the 2013–14 season, his first full 82-game season, Kadri set career-highs in goals (20) and points (50).

Kadri was suspended twice during the 2014–15 season, the first internally by the organization for showing up late to a team practice; he received a three-game suspension.[27] One week later, Kadri was suspended by the NHL: he received four games for illegally checking Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser in the head.[28] Despite these setbacks, Kadri recorded 39 points in 73 games to lead all Toronto centres in goals. In the subsequent off-season, he signed a new one-year, $4.1 million contract with Toronto.

Kadri (centre) with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On April 1, 2016, Kadri was fined $5,000 by the NHL for his second and third diving infractions of the season. The first came March 12 against the Ottawa Senators and the second March 21 against the Calgary Flames.[29] On April 4, 2016, Kadri was again suspended by the NHL after he delivered a cross-check to the head of Detroit Red Wings centre Luke Glendening. Kadri received a four-game suspension for the incident, effectively ending his season, and as a repeat offender under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, he was also fined $200,000.[30] Despite these misdemeanours, Kadri's play throughout the season was strongly praised by Leafs management, most notably head coach Mike Babcock and general manager Lou Lamoriello. Further, Kadri was heavily praised for his penalty drawing abilities; although he was always complimented on this skill, it received much more media attention this season, with Kadri setting a league-leading best 49 penalties drawn during the season.[2] Additionally, Kadri led the Maple Leafs in various offensive categories, including points (45) and assists (28). On April 13, 2016, following the conclusion of Toronto's season, Kadri signed a new six-year, $27 million contract with the team.[31]

On January 23, 2017, in a game against the Calgary Flames, Kadri scored his 100th career NHL goal.[32] During the Maple Leafs' first-round series with the Washington Capitals in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kadri played approximately 95 minutes of ice time throughout the series when Toronto were at even strength to help push the series to six games.[33] He ended the series with two points, a goal and an assist, in six games as Toronto were eliminated.

During the 2017–18 season, Kadri scored his fourth career NHL hat-trick in a 6–3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 14, 2018.[34] During Toronto's first-round series in the 2018 playoffs against the Boston Bruins, Kadri was suspended three games for a hit on Tommy Wingels in Game 1.[35] Toronto lost the series in seven games.

During Toronto's first-round series against Boston in the 2019 playoffs, Kadri was suspended for the remainder of the first round for cross-checking Jake DeBrusk in Game 2.[36] The Maple Leafs lost the series in seven games.

On July 1, 2019, Kadri (along with Calle Rosén and a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft) was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in 2020.[37]