CALGARY, Alberta — When the Stanley Cup Final ended, pins still held together the thumb that held the stick that scored the biggest goal of the series.
Nazem Kadri ignored lingering pain as he hoisted the Cup. He had broken his thumb in the previous round, when Edmonton’s Evander Kane boarded him, but made an accelerated recovery to play for the Avalanche in the Final. When the season ended and free agency loomed, it took “a while” to recover.
“Had to pull the pins out after the playoffs,” Kadri said Wednesday in his new colors. “They were sticking out of my hand by the last game.