Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin has been praised for his poise on the ice, for his unflappable play in pressure situations.
Slavin, one of the Canes' steadiest players, appears to have an inner calm about him when he plays, and there's a reason for that, he said.
"My hockey doesn't define who I am," he said. "My identity is not found in the game."
Slavin is a young man of strong faith. He's not pushy or outspoken about it, nor does he shy away from professing it.
"I'm not rooted in the game of hockey," he said. "I know hockey will end one day but God is forever. It puts me at peace knowing God's in control of every aspect of my life."
Slavin, 22, grew up in a Christian family in Colorado and likes to reel off the names of his siblings: Justin, Jordan, Josiah and Jeremiah.
"Bible names," Jaccob said, smiling.
Robert and Wendi Slavin also raised a family of hockey players. That's includes Josiah, 17, a forward playing in the U.S. Hockey League; and Jordan, a sister who played defense at North Dakota and was called "a tough one" by Jaccob.
"Jaccob has always been a role mode for the family," Wendi Slavin said. "He's very grounded. He's grounded in his faith and as a person."
A lot of Sundays were spent at hockey rinks but Jaccob said some Sundays also were spent in a non denominational church, saying, "I don't consider myself religious. I have faith in Christ."
Slavin's wife, Kylie, also played hockey, in Illinois. The two met through Twitter, their Christianity an instant bond, and were married in the summer of 2015.
