Nazem Kadri is a Canadian ice hockey professional player for the NHL's Calgary Flames.
On Monday night, 23 May 2022, Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri scored his first career playoff hat-trick. This led his team to a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Following a collision with Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington during Game 3 that forced Binnington out of the game, Kadri, who is Muslim and of Lebanese descent, has been the target of ongoing online racist attacks.
Kadri's wife, Ashley, wrote on Monday evening in a series of Instagram stories:
“Great game tonight. Very proud of Nazem. But I wanted to shine light on what the last 48 hours has looked like for us as a family,”
The stories are graphic in nature, with numerous racist slurs and threats directed at Kadri.
Ashley added:
"This is just a small example. There are many many more. This behavior doesn’t belong in sports, anywhere. If you are not condemning racism, then you are tolerating it. Praying for the world to be a better place with more love and less hate,”
Kadri joined the Avalanche in the summer of 2019 after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a multiplayer trade.
"People need to be aware that stuff like this still happens," the NHLer said after Game 4. "It's upsetting. I understand that many people do not have to deal with this, and they may not understand how it feels, but people are trying, which I appreciate."
In a separate TNT interview, Kadri revealed:
“For those who hate, that was for them.”
Nazem Kadri's wife Ashley Cave and their relationship history
Nazem Kadri and Ashley Cave met in high school where they started dating, before finally tying the knot in July 2018. Their wedding ceremony, which was attended by friends and family, took place at Casa Loma in Toronto.
The pair welcomed their daughter into the family in 2019 and have been living as a loving family ever since.