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Nazem Kadri brings Stanley Cup to London, Ont. – CTV News London

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This was the celebration Nazem Kadri had been waiting for — his day with hockey’s Holy Grail.

“I’m very appreciative and privileged and honoured to be the first-ever Muslim to bring the Stanley Cup to the mosque,” says Kadri.

Players only get a short time with Lord Stanley’s Cup, but the 31-year-old Londoner wanted to share it with his faith community, and the mosque where he grew up.

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“Kadri in Arabic, means person who can achieve anything he wants,” Dr. Munir El-Kassem told a crowd out front of the London Muslim Mosque on Oxford Street early Saturday afternoon.

London, Ont. native and NHL’er Nazem Kadri hoists the Stanley Cup outside the London Muslim Mosque ahead of the Stanley Cup parade on August 27, 2022. Kadri is believed to be the first Muslim NHL player to win the Stanley Cup. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

It’s been a difficult 14 months for the Muslim community in London, following the Afzaal family tragedy, but now they can go from a horrific chapter to one of ease, by welcoming home one of their own.

“This is a site where we have all gathered in tears,” says Ed Holder, London’s mayor. “It’s a place where we have all gathered in prayers and today it is a joyous celebration.”

From the mosque, Kadri got aboard a fire truck with the Cup for parade to Victoria Park greeted by thousands.

The crowd lining the streets was diverse, just like the current state of hockey, thanks to players like Kadri.

“For my son here, and all the younger kids, he’s an amazing role model that someone of their community can make it big in the league and lift the Cup,” says Hassan Rahmin, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs Kadri jersey.

London, Ont. native Nazem Kadri rides aboard a fire truck during the Stanley Cup parade on August 27, 2022, beginning at the London Muslim Mosque and culminating at Victoria Park. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

From Oxford Street to Richmond Row and onto Central Avenue, fans cheered for the Colorado Avalanche forward, and soon-to-be member of the Calgary Flames.

He took the Cup through the park and onto the stage at the bandshell where he once again hoisted it over his head to chants of “Kadri, Kadri.”

On stage, Holder along with deputy mayor Josh Morgan and Shawn Lewis presented Kadri with a key to the city, and a few people took the podium, including Mark and Dale Hunter of the OHL’s London Knights, for whom Kadri played junior hockey, to share stories about NHL star.

Then it was Nazem’s turn at the mic again to address the crowd in Victoria Park.

With the Stanley Cup in tow, NHL player Nazem Kadri speaks to a crowd of fans at Victoria Park in his hometown of London, Ont. on August 27, 2022. Kadri and the Colorado Avalanche won game six of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 26, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“I’m hoping this inspires and motivates kids to pursue their dreams because I never thought this was possible,” Kadri told thousands at Victoria Park. “It motivates me even more and we’re going to run this thing back. I’m going to Calgary to get this job done.”

After the pomp and pageantry, Kadri has much quieter plans for his remaining time with the Cup. He’ll be returning to Toronto to spend the evening with friends and family.

Kadri and the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 26, 2022. 

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Vasilevskiy stops 23 as surging Lightning beat Bruins – Sportsnet.ca

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Shane Pinto has a goal, three assists as the Senators roll over the Sabres – Sportsnet.ca

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Here’s what we know about the allegations against Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara

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LOS ANGELES –

Only a week has passed since the Los Angeles Dodgers abruptly fired Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter and constant companion of their new $700 million slugger, Shohei Ohtani.

But the biggest story of baseball’s spring is still murky — and shocking — as the regular season begins in earnest Thursday.

The scandal encompasses gambling, alleged theft, extensive deceit and the breakup of an enduring partnership between the majors’ biggest star and his right-hand man. Investigations are underway by the IRS and Major League Baseball, and Ohtani publicly laid out a version of events Monday that placed the responsibility entirely on Mizuhara.

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Here are the basics as Ohtani and the Dodgers prepare for their home opener against St. Louis on Thursday:

Why was Ippei Mizuhara fired by the Dodgers?

Ohtani claims his close friend repeatedly took money from his accounts to fund his illegal sports gambling habit. Ohtani also says he was completely unaware of the “massive theft,” as his lawyers termed it, until Mizuhara confessed to him and the Dodgers last week in South Korea, where the team opened its regular season against the San Diego Padres.

Mizuhara has given more than one version of his path to this trouble, which was catalyzed by the IRS’ investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an alleged illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara has consistently said he has a gambling addiction, and he abused his close friendship with the Dodgers superstar to feed it.

Did Shohei Ohtani ever bet on sports?

That’s the biggest question to be answered in Major League Baseball’s investigation, and the two-time AL MVP emphatically says he has never gambled on sports or asked anybody to bet on sports for him.

Further, Ohtani said Monday he has never knowingly paid a bookie to cover somebody else’s bets. Mizuhara also said Ohtani does not bet, and Bowyer’s attorney said the same.

Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. If that were true, Ohtani could face trouble even if he didn’t make the bets himself — but ESPN said Mizuhara dramatically changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball. They also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

What’s next for Ohtani?

Ohtani has played in every Dodgers game since the story broke, and he is expected to be their designated hitter in most regular-season games this season while baseball’s investigation continues.

Ohtani says his legal team has alerted authorities to the theft by Mizuhara, although his team has repeatedly declined to say which authorities have been told, according to ESPN.

Ohtani’s new interpreter is Will Ireton, a longtime Dodgers employee and fluent Japanese speaker who has filled several jobs with the team in everything from game preparation and analytics to recruiting free-agent pitches. But Ireton won’t be Ohtani’s constant companion, and manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday he’s optimistic that Ohtani will become closer to his teammates without the “buffer” provided for years by Mizuhara.

What don’t we know?

MLB’s investigation of Ohtani’s role in the events could last weeks or months, and it’s unlikely to be publicized until it’s complete. No one outside of Ohtani’s inner circle knows what it will find or how serious any repercussions could be, and nobody outside the circle is making informed speculation about the process.

One major question looms: How did Mizuhara have enough access to Ohtani’s bank accounts to get the alleged millions without Ohtani knowing? Is the slugger overly trusting, or is he wildly negligent in managing his vast fortune, which includes years of lavish endorsement deals in addition to his baseball salaries? Why didn’t the team around him, including his agent, do more to prevent the possibility of the theft he claims?

Finally, where is Mizuhara? Anybody who knows isn’t saying. He was fired in South Korea and apparently didn’t travel home with the Dodgers. Japanese media have visited his home in Southern California to look for him. Although he was born in Japan, Mizuhara’s life is in the U.S. — but his life will never be the same.

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