Back in October, Nazem Kadri got the chance to see Adele perform live at the Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs centre wasn’t a fan of the British singer, but with nothing else to do that night, he attended. It was there, among the thousands of adoring fans, that Kadri had his eyes — and ears — opened wide.

“She’s unbelievable live. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I have a newfound respect for her. She’s pretty comical onstage. She likes to talk and make jokes,” Kadri said about Adele after a recent practice.

From Adele to Drake to AC/DC, Kadri has an open mind about music, and thanks in part to his varied musical taste — his interests include hip-hop, pop, dance music and “a little bit of rock sometimes too” — he’s earned the duty of director of pregame music selections this season.

“It kind of just came to be,” said Kadri. “I like to play the more up-tempo music and that kind of stuff.”

To be clear, in an NHL dressing room, deciding pregame music is not a matter of public debate. Instead, there’s an unspoken agreement that a veteran player dictates the tempo of the room most evenings.

“There’s no rule to it, you just kind of have to know your lane,” said Ray Ferraro, a TSN analyst and former NHL player, before adding that the DJ must be an older player.

In the Leafs room, that veteran is Kadri — and he takes his role quite seriously.

To prepare, he downloads music from iTunes to his iPhone, and to stay relevant, he spends his free time on the hunt for new music.

“Music is definitely an inspiration for me and helps me get zoned in,” he said. “I’m always looking around for the new stuff.”

One particular track that stuck is “Jordan Belfort” by Wes Walker &DYL. This bratty, college rap track is what the Leafs blast after a win. It’s fun, youthful, loose and, in a way, sums up their season so far.

“It was just a popular song amongst everybody,” said Kadri. “Once we got our first couple wins, everybody decided to play it. Everyone seems to rock out on it. It’s just a popular song with a good beat that’s fun to be around.”

While Kadri enjoys his DJ duties, there are other veterans in the room who want no part of it.

“A few years back I was in control and it’s not a job I like to have,” Tyler Bozak said.

Every DJ experiences endless requests and no DJ can please every customer. Likewise, no player in an NHL dressing room can keep everyone happy, a fact Bozak recalls well from his disc-jockey days.

“It’s impossible to please everyone,” said Bozak. “Some guys are going to like what you pick and some guys aren’t. I like all types of music so I just sit off to the side and listen to whatever’s on.”

While Bozak isn’t picky, some players are — and what furthers the challenge in Toronto is the divide in age on the roster. With a number of young rookies, finding songs that appeal to a variety of tastes and eras can prove difficult.

“When I really dig into the archives,” Kadri said, “with some of the stuff my dad used to listen to, the old school rock, the Black Sabbath, the AC/DC, I’ll break that out before a game and on occasion, I don’t think that really resonates with them. I’m more of a new school-guy anyway. That’s probably the most popular stuff.”

For his part, Kadri lets the complaints roll off his back.

“They like to give me flack,” he laughs. “Early on, I like to just put on a playlist. Maybe an Apple music playlist and a song that I don’t really listen to comes on, everyone likes to give it to you for that.”

Kadri’s ability to take control of the music showcases another step in his evolution not as a player, but as a trusted voice in the room. Before the season there were questions about where Kadri fit on the roster. At 26, was he a member of the young core? Or was he one of the few veterans?

At the time, it was believed he would straddle that fence. But after two tumultuous seasons, with numerous suspensions by both the NHL and the Leafs organization, Kadri’s role as team DJ serves as evidence of the strides he’s made to become a trusted veteran, quietly taking a lead.

“Sometimes I don’t think people quite understand,” he said. “(The dressing room) is really like a little office space. You feel out your way. You know your place. You don’t even need to be told, you just kind of know it.”

Now, in his seventh NHL season, Nazem Kadri knows his place: right near his iPhone, getting his team amped up night in and night out.