This is Part 1 of a four part series designed alphabetically. The lists include hockey people (both past and present) who have made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. I plan to add mini-bios next to each name as time permits. Many thanks goes to Hockey Ministries International (HMI) for their support of these players in their team chaplaincy programs, hockey camps and social media presence.
Whether it’s the vocally reserved culture of most hockey players, a possible frowning upon of outspoken faith in the league or just a more secular media coverage in Canada than in the U.S., you don’t hear as much about an athlete’s personal faith in the NHL. The “PDF” (Public Display of Faith) is a bit rarer in the good ol’ hockey game.
And that’s not always a bad thing. It is, of course, far better to walk the walk than merely talk the talk. But as I have begun to research this topic of Christianity in the NHL (both now and in the past) I have discovered a real legacy of faith amongst some of its players. This is my motivation for creating these blog posts - not to categorize or glorify the people - but to learn more about their faith in Jesus Christ and how it shapes their lives.
In Canada, we often refer to hockey as a religion but for these players they have discovered more than just the religion of the rink – they’ve discovered the Gospel of the Cross.
See Also:
Part 2 (F-M)
Part 3 (N-R)
Part 4 (S-Z)
Backes, David
Former St. Louis Blues captain and current alternate captain with the Boston Bruins, Backes won Olympic Silver in 2010. David is also a pilot and an advocate for animal welfare having founded Athletes for Animals with his wife, Kelly, in 2013.
Here is an interview he did with HMI:
Bassen, Bob
Bob played in the NHL from 1985 to 2000 and is the son of former NHL goaltender and Christian, Hank Bassen. He is currently the Director of Alumni Relations for the Dallas Stars.
“At first I was angry at God that He’d brought me to the NHL and then taken it away. But it is during times like that when you learn the most about your faith and get to know God the most. You have no choice but to lean on Him. It’s almost like He’s reminding you that His plans are not your plans.” (from chapter 6 of “The Edge: Courage & Inspiration from the Ice”.)
Beagle, Jay
Beagle won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 after also having won championships in the ECHL and AHL. He is known by his coaches and team mates as an exceptionally hard worker. Jay is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks.
Booth, David
Boschman, Laurie
Budaj, Peter
Bure, Valeri
Butters, Billy
Carlo, Brandon
Crombeen, B.J.
Cullen, Matt
Dion, Michel
Doane, Shane
Duchesne, Matt
Ellis, Ron
Whether it’s the vocally reserved culture of most hockey players, a possible frowning upon of outspoken faith in the league or just a more secular media coverage in Canada than in the U.S., you don’t hear as much about an athlete’s personal faith in the NHL. The “PDF” (Public Display of Faith) is a bit rarer in the good ol’ hockey game.
And that’s not always a bad thing. It is, of course, far better to walk the walk than merely talk the talk. But as I have begun to research this topic of Christianity in the NHL (both now and in the past) I have discovered a real legacy of faith amongst some of its players. This is my motivation for creating these blog posts - not to categorize or glorify the people - but to learn more about their faith in Jesus Christ and how it shapes their lives.
In Canada, we often refer to hockey as a religion but for these players they have discovered more than just the religion of the rink – they’ve discovered the Gospel of the Cross.
See Also:
Part 2 (F-M)
Part 3 (N-R)
Part 4 (S-Z)
Backes, David
Former St. Louis Blues captain and current alternate captain with the Boston Bruins, Backes won Olympic Silver in 2010. David is also a pilot and an advocate for animal welfare having founded Athletes for Animals with his wife, Kelly, in 2013.
Here is an interview he did with HMI:
Bassen, Bob
Bob played in the NHL from 1985 to 2000 and is the son of former NHL goaltender and Christian, Hank Bassen. He is currently the Director of Alumni Relations for the Dallas Stars.
“At first I was angry at God that He’d brought me to the NHL and then taken it away. But it is during times like that when you learn the most about your faith and get to know God the most. You have no choice but to lean on Him. It’s almost like He’s reminding you that His plans are not your plans.” (from chapter 6 of “The Edge: Courage & Inspiration from the Ice”.)
Beagle, Jay
Beagle won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 after also having won championships in the ECHL and AHL. He is known by his coaches and team mates as an exceptionally hard worker. Jay is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks.
 | ||
| From HMI’s Twitter Account |
Booth, David
Boschman, Laurie
Budaj, Peter
Bure, Valeri
Butters, Billy
Carlo, Brandon
Crombeen, B.J.
Cullen, Matt
Dion, Michel
Doane, Shane
Duchesne, Matt
Ellis, Ron
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