'Just soak in every single moment': Kadri savours recognition, win in 1,000th game

Darren Haynes · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 8:45 AM EST | Last Updated: November 6

With a sparkling "1,000" diamond pendant dangling from his neck, a acquisition from his teammates, Nazem Kadri couldn't halt smiling post-game connected Wednesday arsenic reflected connected his 1,000th-career NHL game, a 5-1 Calgary Flames victory.

"So bully to person the household astir and conscionable acquisition what I went done contiguous and to person them by my side, that's what it's each about. It was a precise peculiar time for me," said Kadri. "I tried to conscionable soak successful each azygous minute."

The evening began with his girl coming into the dressing country and speechmaking the starting lineup.

"It's bully that present [my woman and daughter] tin recognize what I spell done connected a regular basis," said Kadri. "It's not that casual to beryllium successful beforehand of everybody astatine each times, but that was astir apt the item of my day. Her speechmaking the lineup."

When warm-up began, it was an unexpected solo lap.

"That came arsenic a astonishment to me," said Kadri. "I hadn't been connected the crystal similar that unsocial successful a agelong time. I deliberation I missed my archetypal 3 shots connected net. I didn't adjacent deed the net."

Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri connected the crystal during a lucifer against the Columbus Blue Jackets connected Nov. 5, 2025, marking his 1000th NHL vocation game. (Gerry Thomas/National Hockey League)

Then determination was the touching pre-game ceremonial successful which Kadri was joined connected the crystal by his wife, his daughter, and his parents.

"That video tribute, it astir made maine cry, to beryllium honorable with you. It was pugnacious to clasp it together," said Kadri, who is the 407th subordinate successful NHL past to scope 1,000 games.

Then came the awarding of the accepted metallic stick, followed by Blake Coleman presenting his girl with a metallic mini stick.

"That's astir apt what I was astir excited astir is they get a clasp of that thing, and it comes with your signifier and everything, truthful it was an nonstop replica of my stick," said Kadri. "That's thing unique, and that's thing that's going to beryllium displayed astatine the Kadri household."

Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri is honoured with a metallic instrumentality for his 1000th NHL game, pictured present alongside his woman Ashley Cave and girl Naylah anterior to crippled enactment against the Columbus Blue Jackets successful Calgary connected Wednesday. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press)

The Scotiabank Saddledome was inactive buzzing from the ovation Kadri received erstwhile Calgary erupted for 2 goals successful the opening 92 seconds — the tenth-fastest 2 goals to commencement a crippled successful franchise history.

Morgan Frost deflected successful a Jonathan Huberdeau changeable astatine 56 seconds. On the adjacent shift, Coleman notched his team-leading sixth goal.

"Extra special," said Kadri, asked however peculiar it was for his large nighttime to travel successful a win. "Just the mode the squad came retired connected fire, you could archer that we wanted this one, and I'm truthful appreciative for the guys astir maine wanting to maximize however peculiar this time was for me, and recognize the magnitude of however peculiar it was."

Kadri and fans observe his extremity against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2nd period. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press)

Leading 2-1, Kadri's extremity astatine 7:47 of the 2nd play connected a slick walk from Joel Farabee was the archetypal of 2 goals successful 37 seconds — the different disconnected the instrumentality of Adam Klapka — that was a backmost breaker for the visitors arsenic abruptly the Flames led by three.

"To people a extremity successful your 1,000th game. I mean it doesn't get overmuch amended than that," said Kadri. It's not that communal either. He's conscionable the 61st subordinate to people a extremity successful his 1000th game. Of the 13 players to person reached that people successful a Flames uniform, he's lone the 2nd to people successful his milestone game, joining Martin Gelinas (Dec. 9, 2003).Kadri being successful the centre of the game's decisive infinitesimal was nary astonishment to Ryan Huska either.

"We ever speech astir him being a gamer and erstwhile the stakes are higher, someway successful immoderate way, shape, oregon form, helium shows up connected a people expanse with a combat oregon a deed oregon immoderate the lawsuit whitethorn be. So you had a feeling that he'd beryllium involved," said the Flames coach. "Whenever we request something, he's typically 1 of the guys that does it for us."

Kadri signed with the Flames successful the summertime of 2022 aft winning the Stanley Cup the erstwhile outpouring with the Colorado Avalanche.

It was a memorable tally for him arsenic helium piled up 15 points (seven goals, 8 assists) successful 16 games, including the clutch overtime victor successful Game 4, which gave the Avs a 3-1 bid pb implicit the Tampa Bay Lightning. They would spell connected to adjacent retired the bid successful six games, ending Tampa's bid for a 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup.

A escaped cause that summer, helium signed a seven-year, $49-million US woody with Calgary.

Kadri has made an interaction since his arrival, starring the squad successful scoring the past 2 seasons — including a career-best 35 goals past play — and he's atop the club's scoring database again this play with 11 points (four goals, 7 assists) done 15 games.

While helium hasn't missed a crippled successful his three-plus seasons with the Flames, helium besides hasn't had the accidental to play successful a playoff game.

It's going to beryllium a pugnacious ascent this season, too. Despite winning consecutive games for the archetypal clip and improving to 3-2-1 successful its past six, Calgary remains past successful the league's wide standings.