New Avalanche Nazem Kadri on why he blocked an earlier trade to the Calgary Flames: torontosun.com/sports/hockey/…
Nation Sites
The Nation Network
FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Nazem Kadri doesn’t hate the Flames, but wanted to remain a Leaf – it turned out poorly

Photo credit: Jean-Yves Ahern
Nazem Kadri appeared on the latest edition of the 31 Thoughts podcast this week and among the topics he discussed was whether or not he blocked a trade to the Calgary Flames… and why. Kadri was surprisingly forthcoming about the topic.
(Via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun):
What happened is they had a deal in place and they wanted me to move my no-trade clause… Obviously, for me, it was no disrespect to Calgary or the Flames organization — I love their team and I love the direction they’re headed. I just figured that had I declined, I would have had a better opportunity of being a Maple Leaf next year, and that’s really what it came down to.
After blocking the trade to the Flames, who were on his no-trade list, Kadri was instead traded to the Colorado Avalanche (who weren’t). It appears Kadri is fully aware of the irony of the situation.
“I wanted to play for the Leafs next year. I wanted to be a part of that. In declining that trade, I had aspirations of being a Leaf, and we know clearly that didn’t happen.”
Breaking News
- Wranglers Recap: Penalty riddled game sparks a late comeback overtime win for Calgary
- Flames’ Zayne Parekh aiming to make the most of his World Junior experience
- Scotia Place will hit some key milestones in 2026 after a year of progress below ground
- Recap: Etienne Morin’s first AHL goal forces overtime but Wranglers fall to Canucks
- Beyond the Boxscore: Flames shut down Los Angeles in 2-1 overtime victory
