Perhaps the secret to having everything in hockey is realizing that hockey isn’t everything.

Jaccob Slavin grew up about 100 miles north of Colorado Springs in Erie, with a similar childhood to many young hockey players. His whole family, which includes four siblings, is into the sport. Slavin was around rinks at 1-year old, in skates at age 2, and on a team by the time he was 3. 

His dad taught him how to skate by leaving a trail of peanut M&Ms on the ice, and he grew up watching movies like “Miracle,” dreaming of winning Olympic gold for Team USA and winning a Stanley Cup in the NHL. 

Slavin carried those dreams through Triple-A hockey with the Colorado Thunderbirds, juniors with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel, and a two-year NCAA career at Colorado College. Now, he is a defenseman and alternate captain with the Carolina Hurricanes. A veteran skater in his 11th season, he played in the 2020 NHL All-Star game and received the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy twice (2021, 2024). The award is given annually to the NHL player voted to best combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability. 

Last year, Slavin skated for the United States Men’s National Hockey Team in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he’ll represent the red, white and blue again with 22 others in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. 

But while Slavin still cherishes those childhood dreams to win gold and a Stanley Cup, as a man, hockey is more than just his aspirations. It’s his purpose.

“The sport itself is obviously just such a fun sport to play. You have high intensity, high speed, physical. It truly is just such a fun sport to play and to watch,” he said. “What keeps me motivated I just go back to my faith. I go back to my purpose in hockey is to glorify God and use the platform he’s given me to be a light in this world.”

Every time Slavin’s skate touches the ice, in practice, on a world stage or in the NHL, he said, he uses the abilities God gave him to represent His glory. Even when he’s less than 100%, his faith is his guide. 

Earlier this month, Slavin returned from an upper-body injury suffered on Dec. 19. He was sidelined for 10 games. He missed 29 games earlier in the season with a lower-body injury. 

“The year’s been a little different for me. I’ve been blessed with a healthy career so far, but yeah this year’s been a little different,” he said. “Honestly, tackling it the same way I do if I were to be healthy. My joy doesn’t come from the game of hockey, my joy comes from being in a relationship with Jesus. Being able to go into each day knowing that regardless of if I’m playing or if I’m not playing, I can still have joy has really helped me this year.”  

Much like his hockey journey, Slavin’s journey with his faith has been a long one. Of course, during his time at CC, Slavin took time to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. He woke up to a view of Pikes Peak from his Loomis dorm room each morning and conquered the Manitou Incline several times, but he also found a church home in Colorado Springs as well.   

“I attended Calvary Worship Center, when I was there,” he said. “Obviously, you have Focus on the Family down there, you got Compassion International headquarters down there so I’ve been to both of those spots as well, and really just an amazing area for a Christian and being able to walk in those spaces.”

Whereas Sunday mornings may have been full of worship, Slavin spent his Friday and Saturday nights in Colorado Springs on the ice.  

Slavin made a huge impact for the Tigers in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. His freshman year, he was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s rookie of the year, received NCHC’s second-team all-conference honors, won the Tigers’ M.B. Hopper Award as the Tigers’ leading scorer, and was also named the Thayer Tutt Most Valuable Player. 

The following season, Slavin was named first-team all-NCHC. 

“I was excited to be able to stay in Colorado for my time in college. I think probably about a month before I committed to Colorado College, my best friend, who I grew up playing hockey with, committed to Colorado College,” he said. “My time at CC was great. I think everyone that I played with there, I bet we all wish we were probably a little bit better of a hockey team. We didn’t win a lot of games my two years there, but at the same time, we had a lot of fun.”

One of Slavin’s best memories from a pair of down seasons for the Tigers was winning the Gold Pan from arch rival Denver his rookie season. The Tigers fell to the Pioneers in the fall series with a tie (shootout loss) and a regulation loss but swept the Crimson and Gold in the spring to claim the trophy. 

“Those battles, those rivalries with Denver were always heated and always just intense games. So to be able to win the Gold Pan back was pretty special,” he said.

Nowadays, Slavin looks toward another rivalry against another team wearing red, in Canada. During last year’s 4-Nations Face Off, Slavin raised his profile with skillful play. He tied for the team lead for the U.S. in the plus/minus category with a +3. He helped the U.S. beat Canada in Montreal in a 3-1 win during the round-robin stage. The Canadians, however, exacted their revenge on the U.S. in the final with a 3-2 overtime victory.  

“That first game against Canada by far was the coolest hockey experience of my life. Just being in Canada, the Bell Centre. The crowd was crazy, the way the game started was crazy, all of it,” he said. 

Slavin loves those high-stakes moments and rivalries in hockey. Whether it was with the Tigers chasing the Gold Pan against DU or battling Canada in the heart of Montreal, the competition is intense. He said that navigating the emotions of the game is key to success. 

But as always, he understands the deeper significance of the moment that goes beyond wins, losses, and trophies. 

“To be able to represent the country in the Olympics is, like I said, an honor for sure but then I also think about a lot of people that I know who actively or have served in our military. And just when I get to talk with them about representing the country, they’re so pumped for me,” Slavin said. “They were willing to sacrifice their lives to protect our country and give our country the freedoms that we have. So, the excitement that they have for me going over there to the Olympics is something that makes me even more excited.”