Nazem Kadri Nazem Samir Kadri ( born October 6 , 1990 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays Centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He is the third Muslim to ever play in the NHL , having been drafted by the Maple Leafs seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft , which made him the first to be drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs . He played his junior career in the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) with first the Kitchener Rangers and then the London Knights , the former of which he won the J . Ross Robertson Cup with and represented in the 2008 Memorial Cup , ultimately losing in the final to the Spokane Chiefs . Kadri has also represented Canada internationally at the 2010 World Junior Championships , where the team won the silver medal . Since the 2012 - 13 season , Kadri has led the league in penalties drawn with 164 , 46 more than the second place player , Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings . Hockey career . Minor . Kadri grew up playing minor hockey for the London Jr . Knights of the MHAO ' s AAA Pavilion League . He was a key member of MHAO championship teams in Peewee , Bantam and Minor Midget before moving onto the OHL in 2006 - 07 . He participated in the 2003 All - Ontario Peewee Championships in Markham , Ontario and the 2005 All - Ontario Bantam Championships in Thunder Bay , Ontario . Junior . Kadri started his Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) career with the Kitchener Rangers after being selected in the first round , 18th overall of the 2006 OHL Priority Selection . During his second season in the OHL , he played 68 games scoring 25 goals and adding 40 assists . During the 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 WHL . After the 2007 – 08 season was complete , Kadri was traded by the Rangers to the London Knights for a package of draft picks . Kadri played the 2008 – 09 season for his hometown Knights . He played in 56 games , where he scored 25 goals and added 53 assists . Kadri lost time during the 2008 – 09 season when he suffered a broken jaw . Kadri was selected to play for Team OHL in the ADT Canada Russia Challenge , but was unable to participate due to this injury . Kadri was invited to Team Canada ' s selection camp for the 2009 World Junior Championships , but did not make the team . Also during the 2008 – 09 season , Kadri was chosen to play in the OHL All - Star Classic , where he suited up for the Western Conference and scored a goal . After the season was complete , he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round ( 7th overall ) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft . Kadri signed a 3 - 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 ) . Kadri was also selected to represent the Western Conference in the 2009 – 10 OHL All - Star Classic , his second appearance in the league ' s All - Star Game in as many seasons . On March 30 , 2010 Kadri was named the CHL Player of the Week , after recording 9 points ( 2 goals , 7 assists ) in 3 games . The OHL named Kadri the league ' s Player of the Month for April 2010 , a month in which he recorded 26 points ( 9 goals , 17 assists ) in 10 games . Professional . Kadri attended training camp with the Maple Leafs prior to the 2009 – 10 season . He played in 6 pre - season games with the club , where he scored 3 goals and added 2 assists . Coach Ron Wilson had said prior to training camp that Kadri would need to be one of the team ' s top 6 forwards in order to make the club . Kadri was returned to the Knights prior to the start of the NHL regular season . Because of injuries to Christian Hanson and Fredrik Sjöström , Kadri was called up to the Maple Leafs under an emergency basis , and made his NHL debut on February 8 , 2010 against the San Jose Sharks . He did not register any points and finished with a minus 1 rating . This was a one game only call up and he returned to the London Knights following the game . Coach Ron Wilson said he will most likely be with the Leafs in the 2010 - 2011 season , though this was in doubt after comments made by both Wilson and Burke during the pre - season , indicating Kadri had not played to the level they expected and is " running out of time " to prove himself . In addition Burke is a strong supporter of rookies gaining experience at the AHL level . Kadri was included in the Maple Leafs last round of cuts , and was sent to the Toronto Marlies for the start of the season . On November 12 Kadri was called up by the Toronto Maple Leafs along with fellow leaf prospect Keith Aulie . On November 16 , 2010 , Kadri recorded his first NHL point against the Nashville Predators , assisting on a goal by Kris Versteeg . On November 18 , 2010 , Kadri recorded his first multi - point night with 2 assists in a game against the New Jersey Devils . On March 19 , 2011 , Kadri recorded his first NHL goal against Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins . He was named to the 2012 AHL All - Star Game . 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 a labour lock - out 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 . A month later , in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning , Kadri had his first NHL fight with Tampa ' s Victor Hedman . With the Leafs losing 4 – 1 late in the game , Hedman delivered a cross - check to the back of Kadri , who then confronted the 6 ' 6 defenceman . Punches were then exchanged before teammates and officials broke up the fight . On February 28 , Kadri scored his first career hat - trick in a 5 – 4 win over the New York Islanders . On March 30 , he then 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 . On May 4 , Kadri notched 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 then scored his first playoff goal against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 during the third period . On September 11 , 2013 , Kadri was signed by Toronto to a two - year , $ 5 . 8 million contract extension . On November 13 , 2013 , Kadri delivered an elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Bäckström . As a result , the NHL ' s Department of Player Safety handed 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 again , this time by the NHL itself ; he received four games for illegally checking Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser in the head . Despite these setbacks , Kadri would go on to record 39 points in 73 games , leading all Toronto centres in goals . He was subsequently signed to a one - year , $ 4 . 1 million deal in the summer . On April 1 , 2016 , Kadri was fined $ 5 , 000 by the NHL for his second and third diving infractions of the season . The first came March 12 against the Senators and the second 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 collective bargaining agreement he was also fined $ 200 , 000 . Despite these misdemeanors , Kadri ' s play throughout the season was strongly praised by Leafs managements , most notably head coach Mike Babcock and general manager Lou Lamoriello . On top of this , 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 assist ( 28 ) . In reward for his strong year , Kadri was rewarded with a six - year , $ 27 million contract on April 13 , 2016 . Kadri managed to find success during the 2016 - 17 season , setting career highs in goals and points , Reaching the 30 goal mark for the first time and scoring the 100th goal of his career against the Calgary Flames on January 23rd 2017 International . Kadri played for Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games , where they won a gold medal . He first represented Canada at the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where the team finished fourth . Kadri was invited to Team Canada ' s selection camp for the 2010 World Junior Championships held in Regina , Saskatchewan . After being cut in 2009 , Kadri was selected to represent Canada in 2010 . In Canada ' s preliminary round game against the Americans , Kadri was one of the players selected for the shootout , and he scored on goaltender Jack Campbell to help Canada secure the victory . During the tournament , Kadri scored 3 goals and added 5 assists . During the tournament , Kadri attracted attention for his refusal to shake hands with Switzerland ' s Nino Niederreiter after their semi - final game . Kadri did not elaborate on the specifics of what caused his refusal , but did absolve Niederreiter of using an ethnic slur , " Obviously , in big games like that , guys tend to lose their composure a bit , but I didn ' t take offence to anything he said . It was just that I felt like I didn ' t have to shake his hand . " Kadri later had second thoughts about his refusal , " I regret it a little bit " . During the gold medal game against the United States , Kadri had two assists including one on Jordan Eberle ' s tying goal with 1 minute and 35 seconds left . Canada lost the game in overtime , leaving Kadri and his teammates with the silver medal . Personal life . Kadri started skating when he was 2 , began playing organized hockey when he was 4 and was suiting up for elite level teams when he was 6 . Kadri ' s parents are Sam and Sue , and he has four sisters ( Yasmine , Sabrine , Rema , and Rayanne ) . Sam Kadri moved to Canada when he was four from the small town of Kferdenis in Lebanon . Nazem is a practicing Muslim , but says he has never run into any issues on the ice with trash talking concerning his religious beliefs . Kadri was the first Muslim drafted by the Maple Leafs . He is the second Muslim to be drafted into the NHL , after Ramzi Abid . In high school , Kadri served as a member of his school ' s Muslim Student Association . Kadri is the fourth player of Lebanese descent to play in the NHL , following in the footsteps of John Hanna , Alain Nasreddine and Ed Hatoum . He grew up as a Montreal Canadiens fan .