“I know how much pride comes with wearing the Maple Leaf on the international stage,” said a beaming Sidney Crosby after he was named among the first six players expected to represent Canada at next year’s Winter Olympics. Crosby is no stranger to competing at the highest levels of the sport, having two Olympic gold medals to his name already. But it looks like his national comrade, Nazem Kadri, might not be getting the chance to earn his own Olympic memorabilia.

Drafted in 2009, Kadri has amassed 710 points (307 goals, 403 assists) in 985 NHL games, playing for several franchises over 16 seasons. Easily, the 34-year-old hockey center is one of the most experienced players in Canada right now. Maybe that’s why the London, Ontario, native was left flabbergasted after Hockey Canada left him out of the pack.

Just hours ago, Canada’s apex hockey body announced a massive 92-player roster who have been invited to join the August camp ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The official TSN took to Instagram on July 1 to share the names of the Canadian players who are set to attend the camp. “Hockey Canada has invited 92 players from its men’s, women’s and para hockey teams to attend its National Teams Orientation Camp, set for Aug. 26-28 in Calgary,” the social media update read. Surprisingly, Nazem Kadri wasn’t a name to be found on the men’s invitee list.

The Calgary Flames star was justifiably left long-faced. After all, being a Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche, Kadri holds some authority as an accomplished hockey player. For understandable reasons, he wasn’t on board with Hockey Canada’s decision to leave him off the list. In the comment section of TSN’s IG post, Kadri noted his bamboozled state of mind with a rather straightforward comment: “???”

His bewilderment isn’t unjustified. Kadri, along with having hockey’s biggest trophy under his belt, also boasts several 50+ point seasons. On the other hand, on the list unveiled by Hockey Canada, there are multiple stars who are yet to lay their hands on the coveted Stanley Cup. Undoubtedly, the most popular among them is the Oilers’ captain, Connor McDavid. Despite being hailed as one of the finest hockey stars of his generation, the Edmonton forward still hasn’t been able to win the Cup.

But there are also a number of players who have tasted the glory of winning the North American hockey trophy. Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sidney Crosby have all been named on the invitee list. While a total of 42 men’s hockey players will visit the Olympic Orientation Camp in Calgary, six athletes will definitely represent Canada at next year’s Winter Games.

Obviously, seeing names like Nick Suzuki making the cut wasn’t something Kadri enjoyed while he felt left out. But his frustration probably stemmed from this one factor only.

Nazem Kadri is having to deal with a lot

After winning the Stanley Cup in 2004, the Calgary Flames haven’t been able to move past the Conference semifinal stage since. Naturally, for someone like Kadri, it’s a hard pill to swallow, especially since he came to Calgary right after winning the trophy with Colorado. After three seasons with the Flames, Nazem is at his wit’s end. To make matters worse, a number of trade rumors have been linked with the 34-year-old NHL star.

Initially, it was highly speculated that Nazem Kadri could go full circle and return to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ roster ahead of the 2025-26 season. However, it seems like Calgary isn’t up for trade talks with the Leafs regarding Kadri. Instead, the hockey center is now being linked with several teams, including the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils would definitely make sense, considering Kadri and the Devils’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, have previously worked together in Toronto. But will Nazem look to find himself a new home to get over the heartbreak of being sidelined by Hockey Canada despite being in the same city where the Olympic camp is set to be happening? Or will he try to come up with the silencing answer as a player of Calgary itself? What do you think?