Nazem Kadri and HDA aim to inspire Toronto youth through hockey
The Hockey Diversity Alliance is seeing positive results from its goal to spread the game's reach.
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After a few years of work, Nazem Kadri can see the progress the Hockey Diversity Alliance has made, both on the ice and in the faces of those given the chance to try a sport once far from their reach.
“This is a pretty exciting moment in time,” the Calgary Flames forward said ahead of Saturday’s HDA SummerFest for 250 marginalized youth and their families at Canoe Landing Park in downtown Toronto. “We’ve been tracking a lot of players, helping to welcome so many to hockey.
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“We provide coaching, ice time and we’re so pleased about 50 have gone on to competitive hockey, including Triple A in the GTHL.
“The introduction is the main thing. Maybe they don’t ultimately play, but we help them where they want to go in life. That’s the serious potential (of the HDA’s mission).”
On Saturday, Kadri will be joined by a number of HDA executive board members such as another former Leaf, Wayne Simmonds, plus Anthony Duclair, Matt Dumba, Akim Aliu, Chris Stewart and Joel Ward with special guests former NFLers Colin Kaepernick and Marshawn Lynch. The cost-free event will include the kids’ families and a road hockey tournament.
“It’s a great mesh of people, really genuine guys (Kaepernick’s story of being shunned by football for his personal beliefs is well known),” Kadri said. “It’s great to see the support from non-hockey guys. In a city as multi-national as Toronto, it’s so big to have them here.
“Trying to play sports, it can be hard-hitting for people in some communities. There’s certainly difficulty in hockey with costs and finding (arena) facilities. Some events we’ve sponsored are just to get their feet on the ground, to see what the program is like.
“But we can see their happiness. I’ve had multiple parents come up and thank us and received a few e-mails from people who’ve benefitted from it.”
Kadri, the London, Ont.-born grandson of Lebanese immigrants, now has a six-year-old daughter and hopes she grows up playing sports and not thinking twice about the skin colour of her teammates or opponents.
“Parenting makes you look at life differently,” the 34-year-old Kadri said. “You start thinking about the next generation and what’s to come.”
Kadri brought the Stanley Cup to a London mosque when his Colorado Avalanche won it in 2022. The NHL counted 20 players of colour in its 2025 June draft, while defenceman Simon Wang became the highest-drafted Chinese player, being selected 33rd overall by San Jose.
“Hockey is part of our national identity,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a release to endorse SummerFest. “Since its inception, HDA has expanded the game to Canadians of every culture, nationality, religion and sexual orientation while fighting discrimination and racism in the game.
“Toronto is the perfect place to host this groundbreaking festival.”
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