How do you approach your role as a teammate in the NHL?

First and foremost,I always want to be a good teammate and for that I look to examples from Jesus and the Bible. If guys say to me he’s a great teammate and I want to learn why he does certain things, that becomes an opportunity to talk about Jesus. Not everyone had the opportunity like I did to grow up in a family that talked about Jesus and the Bible. I’ve never felt like anyone looked at me differently, certainly the are times that you have to know how you want to live your life and take a stand for it. But when you take a stand, people do respect that.

How important is hockey for you in relation to your faith?

I’ve played hockey all my life. But I know that when I’m done playing, I’ll have that relationship with Jesus for the rest of my life and the rest of eternity, and it’s something that will continue to grow.

What are some of the things that you do to maintain your relationship with God?

First thing I do when I wake up in the morning is read my daily devotional. For me it sets my day in the right direction and gets my mind in the right place. I also make sure to have prayer as part of my daily routine.

Do you have a favourite Bible verse?

Well, on the back side of my stick I have Jeremiah 29:11 it says “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.” When the National Anthem is being sung, I look at that verse and I say a prayer. And it helps remind me that God’s in control and puts me in the right perspective.

How important was your faith growing up?

As I grew up there three things that were important: church, school and hockey. My parents were always teaching me about Jesus, always an emphasis on saying my prayers before bed and in the morning before going to school. It’s always been a big part of my life, for me with hockey it helps calm my nerves and reminds me that God’s watching over me. Had it not been for my faith, there’s a lot of different paths I could have taken. But I don’t think I would have had the discipline and the focus to make it to NHL without it.