Junior for his final two seasons in juniors. Kadri began his
Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career with the
Kitchener Rangers after being selected in the first round, 18th overall, of the 2006 OHL draft. During his second season in the OHL, he played 68 games, recording 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points. During that year's playoffs, Kadri helped the Rangers to an OHL championship and a berth in the
Memorial Cup final, where they lost to the
Spokane Chiefs of the
Western Hockey League (WHL). After the
2007–08 season, Kadri was traded to the
London Knights (his hometown team) in exchange for several draft picks. He played in 56 games for the Knights in
2008–09, recording 25 goals and 53 assists for 78 points. and was unable to play for Team OHL in the 2008
ADT Canada Russia Challenge. Kadri was later invited to
Canada junior team's selection camp for the
2009 World Junior Championships but did not make the final roster. After the 2008–09 OHL season, Kadri was drafted by the
Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, seventh overall, of the
2009 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the club on July 6, 2009. After being cut from the Maple Leafs, Kadri returned to play for the Knights in the OHL. He was selected to play for Team OHL in the 2009
Subway Super Series (renamed from the ADT Canada Russia Challenge). He was also selected to represent the Western Conference in the
2009–10 OHL All-Star Classic, his second appearance in the OHL's All-Star Game in as many seasons. On March 30, 2010, Kadri was named the
Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Player of the Week after recording nine points (two goals and seven assists) in three games. The OHL named Kadri the league's Player of the Month for March 2010, a month in which he recorded 26 points (9 goals and 17 assists) in 10 games.
Professional (2009–present) Toronto Maple Leafs (2009–2019) Kadri attended training camp with the Maple Leafs prior to the
2009–10 season. He played in six pre-season games with the club, in which he recorded three goals and two assists. Then-Toronto head coach
Ron Wilson had said prior to training camp that Kadri would need to be one of the team's top-six forwards to make the club; Kadri was ultimately returned to the Knights prior to the start of the NHL regular season. Due to injuries to forwards
Christian Hanson and
Fredrik Sjöström, Kadri was called-up to the Maple Leafs under an emergency basis, making his NHL debut on February 8, 2010, against the
San Jose Sharks. He did not register any points and finished with a −1
plus-minus rating while playing on a line with fellow rookie
Viktor Stålberg and veteran
Lee Stempniak. This was a one-game-only call-up, and he subsequently returned to the London Knights following the game. Ron Wilson said that he would most likely be with the Maple Leafs for the
2010–11 season, though this was in doubt after comments made by both Wilson and then-Maple Leafs general manager
Brian Burke during the pre-season, indicating that Kadri had not played to the level they expected and was "running out of time" to prove himself. In addition, Burke was traditionally a strong supporter of rookies gaining experience at the
American Hockey League (AHL) level prior to NHL careers. On November 16, in a game against the
Nashville Predators, Kadri recorded his first NHL point, assisting on a goal by
Kris Versteeg. Two days later, on November 18, Kadri recorded his first multi-point night with two assists in a game against the
New Jersey Devils. On March 19, 2011, against goaltender
Tim Thomas of the
Boston Bruins, Kadri scored his first career NHL goal. in February 2012 Kadri was named to the AHL All-Star Game in 2012. Prior to
2012–13 season, Kadri began training under former NHL player and Maple Leaf
Gary Roberts over the summer to gain muscle and "play more explosively". On January 19, 2013, when NHL play resumed after the
2012–13 NHL lockout cancelled much of the first half of the scheduled regular season, Kadri made the starting roster for the Maple Leafs in their season opener against the
Montreal Canadiens. He would score the first Maple Leafs goal of the season with a powerplay mark assisted by
Phil Kessel against goaltender
Carey Price. Kadri finished the game named the game's first star. One month later, on February 19, in a game against the
Tampa Bay Lightning, Kadri had his first NHL
fight, engaging with Tampa Bay defenceman
Victor Hedman. With the Maple Leafs losing 4–1 late in the game, Hedman delivered a cross-check to the back of Kadri, who then confronted the defenceman. Punches were then exchanged before teammates and officials broke up the fight. On February 28, in a 5–4 win against the
New York Islanders, Kadri scored his first career hat-trick. On March 30, he scored his second career hat-trick, and second of the season, in a 4–0 win over the
Ottawa Senators. He would finish the season with 18 goals and 26 assists, finishing second only to Phil Kessel for the team lead in points and goals as the Maple Leafs as a team clinched the fifth seed in the East to cement a playoff spot for the first time since 2004. On May 4, Kadri scored his first
Stanley Cup playoff point, recording an assist on a goal by Kessel after Kadri sprung him on a breakaway. On May 13, he scored his first playoff goal against the Boston Bruins in game 7. Despite the Leafs having a 4–1 goal lead half way in the third period of the seventh game, the Leafs would lose game seven to the fourth-seeded Bruins in overtime 5–4 with Bruins' centre
Patrice Bergeron scoring the series winning goal in the extra overtime period. On September 11, 2013, Kadri signed a new two-year, $5.8 million contract with Toronto. On November 13, Kadri delivered an elbow to the head of
Minnesota Wild goaltender
Niklas Bäckström. As a result, the NHL's Department of Player Safety issued Kadri a three-game suspension. During the
2013–14 season, his first full 82-game season, Kadri set career-highs in goals (20) and points (50). Kadri was suspended twice during the
2014–15 season, the first internally by the organization for showing up late to a team practice; he received a three-game suspension. One week later, Kadri was suspended by the NHL: he received four games for illegally checking
Edmonton Oilers forward
Matt Fraser in the head. Despite these setbacks, Kadri recorded 39 points in 73 games to lead all Toronto centres in goals. in April 2017 during the
2017 Stanley Cup playoffs In the subsequent off-season, he signed a new one-year, $4.1 million contract with Toronto. On April 1, 2016, Kadri was fined $5,000 by the NHL for his second and third
diving infractions of the
2015–16 season. The first came on March 12, against the Ottawa Senators and the second on March 21, against the
Calgary Flames. On April 4, 2016, Kadri was again suspended by the NHL after he delivered a cross-check to the head of
Detroit Red Wings centre
Luke Glendening. Kadri received a four-game suspension for the incident, effectively ending his season, and as a repeat offender under the
NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, he was also fined $200,000. Despite these misdemeanours, Kadri's play throughout the season was strongly praised by Leafs management, most notably head coach
Mike Babcock and general manager
Lou Lamoriello. Further, Kadri was heavily praised for his penalty drawing abilities; although he was always complimented on this skill, it received much more media attention this season, with Kadri setting a league-leading best 49 penalties drawn during the season. Additionally, Kadri led the Maple Leafs in various offensive categories, including points (45) and assists (28). On April 13, following the conclusion of Toronto's season, Kadri signed a new six-year, $27 million contract with the team. On January 23, 2017, in a game against the Calgary Flames, Kadri scored his 100th career NHL goal. During the Maple Leafs' first-round series with the back-to-back
Presidents' Trophy-winning
Washington Capitals in the
2017 playoffs, Kadri played approximately 95 minutes of ice time throughout the series when Toronto were at even strength to help push the series to six games. He ended the series with two points, a goal and an assist, in all six games as Toronto were eliminated by the Capitals in six games. During the
2017–18 season, Kadri scored his fourth career NHL hat-trick in a 6–3 win over the
Columbus Blue Jackets on February 14, 2018. During Toronto's first-round series in the
2018 playoffs against the third-seeded Boston Bruins, Kadri was suspended three games for a hit on Bruins' forward
Tommy Wingels in game 1. Toronto lost the series in seven games. During Toronto's second consecutive first-round series against the third-seeded Boston Bruins in the
2019 playoffs, Kadri was suspended for the remainder of the first round for
cross-checking Bruins' forward
Jake DeBrusk in game 2. The Maple Leafs lost the series in seven games, surrendering a 3–2 series lead in the process.
Colorado Avalanche (2019–2022) On July 1, 2019, Kadri along with
Calle Rosén and a
2020 third-round pick was traded to the
Colorado Avalanche in exchange for
Tyson Barrie,
Alexander Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in 2020. He found success with his new team, serving as their second-line centre, recording 19 goals and 17 assists in his first 51 games, before missing the rest of the
2019–20 season due to a lower-body injury. The regular season was itself prematurely ended by three weeks due to the
COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, with the
2020 playoffs held later in the summer in a
bubble in Edmonton, Canada at
Rogers Place. Kadri rejoined the team for the playoffs and played a major role in the team's victories in the qualifying round and the first round. Colorado eventually lost to the
Dallas Stars in the second round in seven games. With the pandemic still ongoing, the NHL revised its format for a shortened
2020–21 season, with teams exclusively playing within their divisions. Kadri had 11 goals and 21 assists in all 56 games played, while the Avalanche enjoyed an excellent season and won the
Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the league, narrowly prevailing over rivals the
Vegas Golden Knights. Entering the
2021 playoffs as one of the favourites, the Avalanche swept the
St. Louis Blues in the first round. However, Kadri was suspended for eight games after an illegal hit to the head of Blues defenceman
Justin Faulk in game two of the first-round playoff series. Kadri appealed the suspension, which was upheld by the league. Kadri would not return to the 2021 playoffs as the last game of his suspension coincided with Colorado's elimination in the second round in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights. He later reflected on the situation, saying "I hate letting people down, I do. And when I looked up from the ice and saw Justin lying there…I knew what was coming. I knew. When I was sitting in the penalty box, my mind was just spinning. I was frustrated with myself." For the
2021–22 season, the NHL returned to its normal competition structure. It would be Kadri's best season to date, as he scored 28 goals and recorded 59 assists, setting new bests in assists and total points. For the first time in his career, he scored over a point per game. Kadri again found himself at the centre of controversy when, in game 3 of the Avalanche's
2022 playoff second-round series against the Blues, he collided with Blues goaltender
Jordan Binnington while charging the net front. As a result, Binnington was forced to exit the game with a lower-body injury and sit out the remainder of the series. The Avalanche, behind at the time, won the game. Blues head coach
Craig Berube, when asked about the incident, said only "Look at Kadri's reputation. That's all I've got to say." Kadri denied that he had intended to injure Binnington, while Avalanche head coach
Jared Bednar insisted it was an accident resulting from a collision between Kadri and Blues defenceman
Calle Rosén. Binnington was alleged by Kadri to have hurled a water bottle at him during an on-camera interview after the game. In game 4, he scored his first career playoff hat-trick, leading the Avalanche to a 3–1 edge in the series. Blues forward
David Perron was later fined for cross-checking Kadri during the game. The Avalanche won the series, advancing to the conference finals for the first time in 20 years. In game 3 of the conference finals against the
Edmonton Oilers, Kadri was injured after being cross-checked into the boards by Oilers forward
Evander Kane, and Bednar announced that he would miss the rest of the series "if not longer." Kadri underwent thumb surgery. Defying initial expectations, Kadri returned to play in game 4 of the Avalanche's
2022 Stanley Cup Final series against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the
Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring the game-winning overtime goal. The Avalanche would go on to win series in six games to clinch the Cup. Kadri's status as the first Muslim player to win, as well as the sport's most famous Muslim player, attracted attention afterward. Kadri, for his part, said that he desired to return to Colorado, but added "I've shown what my worth is and I'm just looking forward to watching this all develop."
Calgary Flames (2022–2026) with
Justin Schultz of the
Seattle Kraken in November 2023. On August 18, 2022, Kadri signed as a free agent to a seven-year, $49 million contract with the
Calgary Flames. On November 5, 2025, Kadri played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 411th player to reach the mark.
Return to Colorado (2026–present) On March 6, 2026, Kadri was traded back to Colorado, alongside a
2027 fourth-round pick, in exchange for
Max Curran,
Victor Olofsson, a conditional 2027 second-round pick, and a conditional
2028 first-round pick. ==International play==