Kadri Speaks: Sittler’s Record, Scoring Chances and Donald Trump

I recently had the chance to chat with Nazem Kadri before Leafs practice on Friday afternoon and pick his brain about Darryl Sittler’s record-setting game from 1976, how he spent his All-Star break, and how the team’s play has improved this season with Mike Babcock behind the bench.

Mike Commito: So how did you spend the All-Star break?

Nazem Kadri: I went on vacation with a few of the guys, went out to Mexico, just tried to lay in the sun and enjoy ourselves a little bit. I think we came back a little re-energized and it was good for us.

We actually caught the majority of it in the airport, so we were fortunate enough to have it on TV and I enjoyed the format actually.

I think that’s something that is going to stand for a while, it’s pretty tough to do in this day and age. I mean six goals and four assists and a ten point game, that’s definitely something special and something that is iconic. He was a heck of a player and a heck of a leader. Even talking to him this day, he’s just a down to Earth guy and really easy to talk.

I don’t think so. I think maybe we had some similar styles, we’re both our own players, but anytime you could be compared to someone like that it’s an accomplishment, but if I’m ever going to be near as good as he was I’ve still got a lot of work to do. My focus is just trying to get better every single day with the hope to build up to that.

I don’t know, maybe I should try something like that [Swiss Chalet]. I’m not too much of a superstitious person and I have a routine like everybody else and sometimes that changes a little bit, but for the most part it stays the same.

Worked on my shot a little bit, always trying to get stronger. Obviously you mature as a player and an individual so that’s always something I’m working on and as you get older and mature you’re going to get stronger; it’s just human nature. I’ve been trying to find lanes to shoot pucks and starting to understand that scoring opportunities come off secondary opportunities which comes from shooting the puck. I don’t think there’s such thing as overshooting, but you definitely have to get that puck to the net.

That’s always something he’s stressing, no shot’s a bad shot. You need to keep funneling those pucks to the net because it creates random play, even if the puck doesn’t get to the net it could get blocked and after it gets blocked it kind of scrambles wherever and could end up on our stick for a scoring chance. So that’s what we talk about, creating random plays by getting pucks through. 

I think just structure wise that’s a big one, and everyone understands what role they have to play and where they have to play it. Structure is safety and safety is what’s going to help us win games, so that’s what essentially it comes down to and how well we can execute the game plan. I feel every single game we’re prepared, it’s just whether we execute to the level we’re capable of.

I thought it was cool, I think they’re definitely trying to bring the past to the present a little bit. Obviously, its Toronto so there’s rich tradition, but I think change can be a good thing and I’m excited, hopefully, to be wearing that Leafs jersey next year, and I’m sure a lot of people are too.

I think that’s kind of on the backburner a little bit, obviously I’m just trying to worry about this team and how I can be the best player I can be for this team this year, so I’m just focusing on getting better and getting stronger and trying to max out my potential, and the rest will write itself.

I don’t know, everyone knows I’m not his biggest fan so, I mean he’s kind of on his own page a little bit so I’m going to try and stay away from that. I don’t think that’s a very deserving nomination, but that’s not for me to decide.

——————————————

Hot Take: Nazem Kadri grabs a quarter chicken dinner to-go from Swiss Chalet on Terry Fox Drive and scores 11 points tonight en route to making NHL history.