'BLESSED TO HAVE HIM'

FORT LAUDERDALE - It says a lot about a man when old pals - now, competitors - can't help but smile at the very mention of your name.
Nazem Kadri had that big of an impact in Colorado.
"We were blessed to have him on our team," said Mikko Rantanen, who was one of three of Kadri's ex-Avalanche teammates holding court on Media Day at the NHL All-Star festivities. "Especially last year - think about what he went through and what he was able to do in the playoffs.
"He had all those injuries - stuff that normally takes a long time to come back from. But he did come back. And he scored all those big goals for us and was a big reason we won the Cup.
"He was an unbelievable teammate and we miss him a lot."

It's early in Kadri's tenure as a Flame, but it's already clear why the veteran is looked upon with such admiration. It's a genuine rock-star vibe that goes beyond the goals, even though he leads his new club in that category with 19 and as a result, is flirting with a new high-water mark. It beyond goes beyond the hits, the emotional engagement, and the gargantuan presence he carries himself with inside the locker-room - especially now, as a champion.
What makes Kadri unique is that he does it all.
Always.
Few can lay claim to that type of consistency and also be on the leading edge what truly galvanizes a team.
He may not wear a letter for the Flames - and he didn't a year ago with the Avs - but make no mistake: He is and has been one of the most crucial elements of the leadership groups in both Rocky Mountain cities.
"He definitely brings a swagger to your team," said fellow All Star Nathan MacKinnon, who drew much of the attention on Thursday's oceanfront press conference. "You couldn't ask for a better teammate.
"Just an awesome, super funny guy that brings a ton of life to your group, whether it's on the ice or in the locker-room.
"We definitely miss him. It's a cap world, I guess, and you can't keep everyone… But he's doing awesome in Calgary and he's having a great season, so I couldn't be happier for him."
Kadri has often said that he "matured" in those three years in the Mile High City. He arrived in 2019, dealt from hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, and immediately grew into something… more.
He soon became that perennial playoff pugilist that flourished on the bigger stage, capping his journey with one of the most memorable postseason performances in recent memory.
Kadri, who suffered a thumb injury in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final and was forced to have surgery, returning in Game 4 of the Cup Final and scored the overtime winner to give the Avs a 3-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This, after being at the centre of attention, after a second-round spat with Jordan Binnington and the St. Louis Blues that led to some, shall we say, acrimony between the two divisional foes.
Moments like those tend to linger, long after the Cup was awarded.
"That was the turning point, for sure," Rantanen said, pointing to Kadri's exceptional effort in Game 4 of the Second Round.
Kadri scored a hat-trick that night, despite being a target for retribution after some incidental contact with the Blues netminder a game earlier.
It was masterful.
Theatrical.
Entirely, the stuff of legend.
"I didn't know him as a person before he got to Colorado and off the ice, how good of a guy he was," Rantanen recalled. "On the ice, he can be a little bit of a (jerk) sometimes, but that's good... when he's on your team.
"But, look, he plays hard. How could you not respect that?
"I'm not surprised he's here (at the All-Star Game) again this year. "He's a very good player as we've seen - a veteran guy who's played a long time, and has really earned his opportunities and the recognition he's been given."
Now, the page has officially been turned.
Rantanen, MacKinnon and the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Calgary native Cale Makar, were holding down the fort at the north end of the luxorious beachside resort where the interviews were held.
Kadri was 100 feet away, between Troy Terry, Elias Pettersen and the other high-powered, Pacific personalities.
Physically, far apart.
But those Cup-winning memories together will never fade.
The goal now for the newest Flame is to recreate those indelible moments, but with his new band of brothers in Calgary.
"It was cool," MacKinnon said of the opportunity to present Kadri with his championship ring earlier this year at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "Even though the win is coming up on a year now, it's still so fresh in your mind. So, the second game of the year, presenting the ring… really cool moment.
"His wife and his family were there, too, and that's what it's all about.
"It was awesome.
"The whole ride."