By design, Nazem Kadri's Stanley Cup celebration will star the Muslim community in London, Ont.

Nazem Kadri will walk through the doors of the London Muslim Mosque in southwestern Ontario with the Stanley Cup this weekend as part of a hometown celebration the 31-year-old NHL star wanted by design. 

Kadri, the only son of five children born in London to Lebanese parents, is believed to be the first Muslim player to win an NHL championship. It happened in June, when his then team, Colorado Avalanche, beat Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the playoffs in June. After a long career with Toronto Maple Leafs before joining Colorado, he's now with Calgary Flames.

But before lacing up his skates for the western Canadian team, he'll take his turn hoisting the Cup, and is looking forward to doing that alongside the Muslim community in London. It all starts with an afternoon parade on Saturday.

"Most of this is for the youth, for the next generation, trying to inspire them, to see the shiny trophy, having the same dream that I did," Kadri told CBC News. 

Longtime family friend Hassan Mostafa said starting the festivities at the mosque is a way for Kadri to involve the community that's meant so much to him.

"Nazem is proud of his Muslim heritage, and it was definitely on purpose that the Kadri family wanted to start the parade at the mosque," said Mostafa. "He's going to come out of the mosque with the Cup hoisted high and really show that you can be Muslim, you can be different, you can be of a different background and still have the best of success in a wonderful country like Canada."

Mostafa admitted that early on, he was skeptical when Kadri's father, Samir, said his young son was NHL bound.

"His dad would say, 'Yup, my son is going to the NHL,' and we really weren't sure that was a realistic goal, but he's proven us all