Back in the summer of 2022, Nazem Kadri shocked the NHL world when he signed a seven-year, $7 million AAV deal with the Calgary Flames as he looked to come in and replicate the success of players such as Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. While the team didn't make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his three and a half seasons with the team, Kadri became a focal point of this Flames team, earning the respect of the fans and his teammates throughout that time.
However, the losing clearly took its toll on Kadri, as he reportedly asked to be traded ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, with the Flames doing him a major favour and trading him to the Colorado Avalanche, the team he won the 2021 Stanley Cup with. Now, after facing off twice in Colorado, Kadri makes his return to Calgary, and as expected, there's going to be plenty of emotion for No. 91 when he enters the SaddleDome as a visiting player.
Ahead of the Flames matchup with the Avalanche, he addressed his time in Calgary, and while he eventually asked out, the veteran centre made it clear just how much he didn't want to leave the Flames, and how much he still loves the organization.
"Obviously, everybody understands the circumstances and the situation. At the end of the day, I would've never wanted to leave this place."Nazem Kadri
"Obviously, everybody understands the circumstances and the situation. At the end of the day, I would've never wanted to leave this place."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 14, 2026
Nazem Kadri shares his thoughts on being traded from the Flames at the deadline. pic.twitter.com/gUKpaUsTZZ
Kadri isn't the only one to speak glowingly of their time in Calgary since leaving, with Mackenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm and others all speaking fondly of their time as Flames following their departures.
In his time with the Flames, Kadri appeared in every single one of the 307 games that the Flames played, tallying 100 goals and 239 points in that time, showing why he's immensely respected around the National Hockey League during that time.
At the end of the day though, at 35-years of age, it makes sense for Kadri to pursue a Stanley Cup, and that was simply never going to happen in Calgary, so while he had to leave to do that, he, like others has nothing but good things to say about the Flames and Calgary.
Add us as a preferred source on Google