Kadri bringing Cup to London mosque will leave lasting legacy

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Growing up in Edmonton as a hockey-crazed Oilers fan in the late 1990s and early 2000s, one of my favourite players was, ironically, Jarome Iginla – then starring for the rival Calgary Flames.

My other favourite player as a kid was Paul Kariya. I had their posters, followed their stats, and would always create characters named after them in video games.

Both had eye-popping stats that ultimately led to countless accomplishments and enshrinement in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But that’s not the biggest reason I identified with them. I remember distinctly thinking back then that Iginla and Kariya just looked…different. They didn’t look like most NHL players.

Of course, they were a bit different. Iginla’s father is from Nigeria, while Kariya has Japanese roots. I saw something in myself in those two – even if I couldn’t quite articulate it as a 10 year old.

While I never seriously pursued athletics outside of recreational leagues, at that age I had my heart set on becoming a sports journalist. Back then, approaching my teenage years, I had a similar distant kinship with TSN’s Farhan Lalji while watching him on TV. He was someone who, like me, looked a bit different and was succeeding.

Seeing those three examples ingrained in me that being different did not have to be a deterrent, and that I could ultimately will myself to be whatever I wanted – even if I stood out because of my name, culture, or the colour of my skin. They showed that kid in Edmonton what was possible – and perhaps more importantly, that nothing was impossible.

On Saturday, thousands of Muslims across the continent will have a similar moment when Nazem Kadri brings the Stanley Cup to the London Muslim Mosque. It is believed to be the first