By Mallory Mattingly
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin might have an Olympic gold medal and a now Stanley Cup title to his name, but those rewards could never compare to his faith in Christ.
On Sunday night, the Hurricanes defeated the Las Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 to secure the Stanley Cup.
After the game, Slavin talked about how important his relationship with Christ was as he battled his way through injuries at the start of the year.
“It’s unbelievable. It is unbelievable. I mean, injuries through the beginning of the year, didn’t know when I’d come back, and just had to really, really lean into my relationship with Christ and just trusting His time,” the defenseman told the NHL. “But really lean into my relationship with Him. And so I look at the whole year and I’m just – the word that comes to my mind is grateful – grateful for the opportunity to win a gold medal to represent Christ on a world stage. And now with the Cup, represent Him on the biggest stage in hockey with the Stanley Cup playoffs.”
Related: NHL Player Jaccob Slavin Glorifies God ‘On and Off the Ice’
Even he’s a champion, he doesn’t find his joys in wins.
“And so it’s amazing to win those things there. It’s rewarding, but at the end of the day, it’s not where my joy is found,” Slavin explained.
Slavin finds his joy in Jesus Christ, and his identity in Christ allows him to play freely on the ice.
“I think the biggest reason why, as Christian athletes, we look at what Jesus did for us on the cross, and I think going into a game, we know that we are sinners saved by grace, and so we’re playing from the identity of, ‘Alright, I’m here as a chosen vessel of God to glorify God,’” Slavin said on the “Sports Spectrum” podcast in March. “And whether you’re in the office working, whether it’s a sport that you’re playing, whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, like that is where God has you. So you’re going to do your work for God’s glory. The reason why is because He’s worthy of it.”
“One thing I kind of always pray before games is like Christ died for me, so I’m going to play for Him,” he continued. “And so, if He was willing to give His life for me, I feel like the least I can do is play for Him with the platform He’s given me, the abilities He’s given me, and then really just glorify and honor Him through the sport of hockey, or through loving my wife, parenting my kids, whatever it is. He’s worthy of that, and so we must live for Him.”
Despite his major hockey wins, Slavin remains grounded by finding his true joy and identity in his faith in Jesus Christ.
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