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

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

"So nice to have the family around and just experience what I went through today and to have them by my side, that's what it's all about. It was a very special day for me," said Kadri. "I tried to just soak in every single minute."

The evening began with his daughter coming into the dressing room and reading the starting lineup.

"It's nice that now [my wife and daughter] can understand what I go through on a daily basis," said Kadri. "It's not that easy to be in front of everybody at all times, but that was probably the highlight of my day. Her reading the lineup."

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

"That came as a surprise to me," said Kadri. "I hadn't been on the ice like that alone in a long time. I think I missed my first three shots on net. I didn't even hit the net."

Then there was the touching pre-game ceremony in which Kadri was joined on the ice by his wife, his daughter, and his parents.

"That video tribute, it almost made me cry, to be honest with you. It was tough to hold it together," said Kadri, who is the 407th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 games.

Then came the awarding of the traditional silver stick, followed by Blake Coleman presenting his daughter with a silver mini stick.

"That's probably what I was most excited about is they get a hold of that thing, and it comes with your pattern and everything, so it was an exact replica of my stick," said Kadri. "That's something unique, and that's something that's going to be displayed at the Kadri household."

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