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Dreamer: My Life On the Edge
An outspoken, inspirational memoir from a charismatic athlete in the spotlight, Dreamer is the moving story of the first Muslim hockey player to win the Stanley Cup, and the impossible dreams he made a reality.
No one who knows the game is unfamiliar with the story of the NHL’s first Muslim Stanley Cup winner, Nazem Kadri, nor does anyone doubt his warmth and openness in front of a microphone, or his eagerness to challenge the next generation of Muslim athletes. He is a league All-Star, a highlight-reel player, and someone who has been called upon to be the face of his community from the moment he put on skates.
Nazem Kadri was a top-ten draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, chosen not only for his elite skills but because he would reflect Toronto’s immense diversity and huge Muslim population. And he was soon a fan favourite, not only with a new generation of diverse fans, but with traditionalists too, who admired his willingness to play the game with old-school toughness.
In the end, he was traded to Colorado as management sought to shake up the team. But it was the Avalanche, not the Leafs, who benefitted most, and Toronto fans missed him. When Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022, Kadri (by then a fan favourite in Denver) was a clutch player in high-pressure games. Today he is a veteran leader with the Calgary Flames, and still making the highlight reels.
But the core of Kadri's story is what happened off the ice—both shocking and heartwarming. Kadri faced brutal anti-Muslim harassment during Colorado's Cup run from Blues fans and received incredible support from Denver fans. When a controversy arose about an uncalled penalty on the championship-winning goal, this founding member of the league’s Hockey Diversity Alliance used the opportunity to make humorous t-shirts, which raised over $250,000 for the Kadri Foundation.
And when he had his traditional day with the Stanley Cup, he took it to the mosque in his hometown of London, Ontario, along with the message that the highest success, not just in hockey but in life, is a destiny any of us can choose.
No one who knows the game is unfamiliar with the story of the NHL’s first Muslim Stanley Cup winner, Nazem Kadri, nor does anyone doubt his warmth and openness in front of a microphone, or his eagerness to challenge the next generation of Muslim athletes. He is a league All-Star, a highlight-reel player, and someone who has been called upon to be the face of his community from the moment he put on skates.
Nazem Kadri was a top-ten draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, chosen not only for his elite skills but because he would reflect Toronto’s immense diversity and huge Muslim population. And he was soon a fan favourite, not only with a new generation of diverse fans, but with traditionalists too, who admired his willingness to play the game with old-school toughness.
In the end, he was traded to Colorado as management sought to shake up the team. But it was the Avalanche, not the Leafs, who benefitted most, and Toronto fans missed him. When Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022, Kadri (by then a fan favourite in Denver) was a clutch player in high-pressure games. Today he is a veteran leader with the Calgary Flames, and still making the highlight reels.
But the core of Kadri's story is what happened off the ice—both shocking and heartwarming. Kadri faced brutal anti-Muslim harassment during Colorado's Cup run from Blues fans and received incredible support from Denver fans. When a controversy arose about an uncalled penalty on the championship-winning goal, this founding member of the league’s Hockey Diversity Alliance used the opportunity to make humorous t-shirts, which raised over $250,000 for the Kadri Foundation.
And when he had his traditional day with the Stanley Cup, he took it to the mosque in his hometown of London, Ontario, along with the message that the highest success, not just in hockey but in life, is a destiny any of us can choose.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 28, 2024
I'm so glad I did the audiobook version of this. Was great to really hear his words. I laughed a lot, cried a lot during chapter 13 and 21. All in all thoroughly enjoyed this book.
November 20, 2024
Pretty inspirational. Seeing the Avs win the Cup with Kadri was an emotional moment.
June 1, 2025
It showed his character is the same both on and off the ice. He really comes across as a hot head throughout the book. Where it really showed, was towards the end, when he talked about winning the Stanley Cup. Even though his Thumb was still recovering from surgery, he played in game six.
November 14, 2024
Amazing!
Great story! Very honest . Has has a ton of great life lessons for all of us. Well done! And we sure miss you in Colorado!
Great story! Very honest . Has has a ton of great life lessons for all of us. Well done! And we sure miss you in Colorado!
May 27, 2025
I was starting to get tired of hearing him explain those hits. I was expecting more. When it keeps happening...
The same goes with mentioning how confident in himself he was. I was starting to go crazy. I get it, you believe in yourself! Don't get discouraged though, keep reading. You start to understand why. He's accomplished a lot but also been through it and has had to endure horrible treatment from not only the public and media but from his own coaching and management staff. Pulled at my heart strings and happy to see his success (even if it wasn't with the leafs). ;)
The same goes with mentioning how confident in himself he was. I was starting to go crazy. I get it, you believe in yourself! Don't get discouraged though, keep reading. You start to understand why. He's accomplished a lot but also been through it and has had to endure horrible treatment from not only the public and media but from his own coaching and management staff. Pulled at my heart strings and happy to see his success (even if it wasn't with the leafs). ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2024
Was very interested to read this as a Leafs fan, Nazem will always hold a special place in my heart. I have read a lot of sports autobiography and honestly not sure if it was because I listened to the audiobook but I found it a little boring at times. It started off really strong and just fizzled out but the end in my opinion.
August 19, 2026
His personality, confident, grateful, perseverant, resilient, if a tad hot headed in the moment really comes through in these pages of Nazem Kadri's incredible story. Seems like a likeable guy, and I know that I'll watch him play differently having read this memoir. Recommended to hockey fans, but it's not a memoir that is a must read for those who don't like the sport.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews