Jaccob Slavin approached the microphone and sheepishly removed the gold medal from his neck. A voice in the crowd shouted for him to keep it on, and so he put it back on.
That quiet moment of humility, not wanting to wear the Olympic medal as he spoke to the media, said a lot about the Carolina Hurricanes' star defenseman- something many who have followed his career already know. But the message that followed spoke volumes about the man behind Team USA's perfect Olympic penalty kill.
"I think first and foremost, you guys know me," Slavin said shortly after opening his presser . "You know where I stand with my faith, and my purpose in the game of hockey, and being able to have my family there to enjoy it with me…We give all the glory to God.
"It was such an amazing time, such a wonderful experience being able to glorify Him on a world stage, and to win gold doing it was so much fun. And so, whether we won gold, whether we didn't, we were still gonna praise Him and give Him all the glory."
It had been a long road for Slavin.
In the offseason, he sustained an injury during summer training. The lower-body injury proved to be a hurdle for the 31-year-old defenseman, keeping him out of the Hurricanes' lineup for 29 games. Then, just two games after his return, he suffered an upper-body injury against the Florida Panthers, which led him to miss another 10 games.
It was a lingering question whether he would even be a member of Team USA for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games at all.
"I just look at it with gratitude…just thankful for God, and protecting me while I was over there, but also through this season with the injuries that I had at the beginning of the year; just trusting his timing with it all, and getting to a spot where I was healthy enough to go and play.
"And so, again, I look at it with gratitude."
Despite the injuries, the overall lack of ice time due to said injuries, and the pressure of so many high-stakes games, Slavin was one of the best players on the ice throughout the tournament. He shut down chances, provided key plays during the penalty kill, and finished the games a +4 in plus/minus. He played with full confidence, as if he hadn't missed a beat.
"I think for me, it just puts it all in perspective, honestly," he told the media. "Going to the Olympics and being able to compete on a world stage, it doesn't build the nerves for me.
"Knowing that whether it's the Olympic gold medal game, or whether it's an NHL preseason game, my mindset is still the same of 'I want to glorify God with the abilities He's given me', and play with the confidence he instills in me – knowing that I'm not playing for the media, I'm not playing for the approval of fans, of coaches, of players, or whatever it is; I'm not out there searching for their approval.
"I'm out there to play for Him and glorify Him, regardless of performance. And knowing that whatever my performance is, He's still going to love me."
Slavin put up quite the performance, even including some valuable offensive efforts amidst his defensive prowess. In the game against Denmark, he provided the secondary assist on Team USA's first goal of the game – a key play to get them rolling towards a 6-3 victory early in the competition.
But for Slavin, he spoke on what he has already gotten that is far more important than winning a gold medal.
"I can't take this to the grave with me when I die," he said as he tugged on the gold medal that hung around his neck. "As much as an honor it is to win this, and be able to do it representing the USA, I know it's something that's fleeting.
"And so, I know that it's going to pass, but the joy of the Lord is what lasts forever for me."
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