Ex-Leaf Nazem Kadri Shared How He Really Feels About Toronto After Calling Out His Doubters

Nazem Kadri and the Toronto Maple Leafs had an awkward breakup a few years ago, and while the NHL star later won the Stanley Cup in Colorado before moving to Calgary, he still has a lot of feelings about the 6ix.

Narcity recently checked in with Kadri as part of a chat about Ritz’s All Flavours Welcome campaign, and the NHL vet revealed how he feels about the first NHL city that he called home.

"It's always been close to home and I spent a lot of time there," Kadri told Narcity.

"Growing up and to this day, I still have a lot of supporters in that city. A lot of people have been big fans of mine throughout my career and just no matter where I've been, that's always followed me."

He added that he's always tried to "do the best I can and make all those people look good."

Fans might remember how the Leafs-Kadri breakup went down. Kadri was drafted by the team and played a key role with the Maple Leafs for several years, both in the regular season and eventually in the playoffs. He always played with an edge, but that burned him in his final two seasons in Toronto, each of which ended with a suspension before the Leafs were eliminated.

After the second suspension, Toronto traded Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche in 2019.

Kadri would go on to win the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche a few years later, while his old team continued to fall short in the post-season. He also didn't pass up a chance to throw shade at his critics after winning that Cup in 2022.

"For everyone that thought I was a liability in the playoffs, you can kiss my ass," he said on live TV at the time.

It's been nearly two years since that moment and Kadri still stands by what he said.

"It was the best," he told Narcity, before explaining that he wasn't throwing shade at his old team or the city of Toronto in particular. He was simply sticking it to people who didn't believe in him.

"As an athlete, everyone's entitled to their own opinions about your career, how your year's going, and a lot of scrutiny comes along with that," he said. "You're always under the microscope and a lot of the mistakes you make are open to public debate."

He added that calling out the doubters was a way to "validate that for myself, and for all the people that believed in me. I think that was what I was most proud of."

However, that doesn't mean the now-Calgary Flames forward suddenly hates Toronto. He remains friends with several Leaf players and was even at Mitch Marner's wedding over the summer.

In fact, he says Toronto still holds a special place in his heart, especially because he has so many memories of visiting the city as a kid on trips from his hometown of London, Ontario.

Kadri went on to say that his favourite thing about Toronto is the diversity, both in terms of people and food.

"I love the multiculturalism," he said. "It's felt like home for years for me, so it's tough to move away from."

If you're ever hoping to bump into Kadri over the summer or when his Calgary Flames are in Toronto, there are a few restaurants that says he loves to visit.

"I like the classics," said Kadri. "I'm a big Sotto Sotto fan. Harbour 60 (and) One Patio. I could go on for days."

He also had nothing but good things to say about the sushi at AP, chef Antonio Park's restaurant in Yorkville. "That's great," he said.

Kadri spoke to Narcity as part of his involvement with Ritz's All Flavours Welcome campaign, which is all about celebrating food from different ethnicities in schools. Kadri visited a school in Toronto last year to chat with school children about food from their various backgrounds. Kadri, who is of Lebanese heritage, also shared what it was like to be asked about food from his culture when he was growing up.

You can watch Kadri's chat in the latest Ritz campaign video.