Flames’ Kadri Makes $1M Donation to Hometown Surgical Centre

Nazem Kadri signed a massive deal with the Calgary Flames this summer.

Now we know how he planned to spend some of it.

Days after the 31-year-old made headlines in his hometown for bringing the Stanley Cup to his local mosque, Kadri was again making a difference in London, Ont.

A $1-million donation supporting the London Health Sciences Centre will go towards surgical innovation that could improve patient outcomes across the globe.

The Ambulatory Surgical Centre will be re-named the Nazem Kadri Surgical Centre in recognition of the incredible gift.

“My community is very important to me and my family. As I got older, I felt the need to contribute back to the community that raised me,” Kadri said in a Twitter video posted by the @LHSFCanada account.

“I’m honoured to give back to my community by establishing the Nazem Kadri Surgical Centre. Please join me in transforming surgical care for patients across our community.”

Located across from LHSC’s Victoria Hospital campus, the centre provides patients requiring low-risk, less complex surgeries with an alternate operating location outside of the hospital

Patients whose surgeons have deemed them low risk can receive foot procedures, ankle, hip and knee arthroscopies and ACL repairs.

Pledging big changes in health care seems to be a trend for new members of the Calgary Flames franchise.

Jonathan Huberdeau offered his brain to concussion research not long after he signed an eight-year extension with the Flames. That followed a trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.

Kadri committed to the Flames as an unrestricted free agent, signing a seven-year, $49-million deal in August.

Well, I guess it’s $48 million now.

Both Kadri and Huberdeau offer experience, maturity and high skill levels to the Calgary Flames for the foreseeable future.

Clearly their commitment to the community is just as strong.