Slavin, a devout Christian, kneels down at center ice and prays following every game he plays.
Slavin, a devout Christian, kneels down at center ice and prays following every game he plays.
Josiah Slavin is the newest member of the Toronto Marlies after the Toronto Maple Leafs signed the 24-year-old to an AHL contract.
Slavin, the younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jacob Slavin, played 15 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2021-22 season where he recorded one assist. Spending most of his professional hockey career with the Rockford IceHogs, Slavin began kneeling down in prayer at center ice following each game.
"It's not for anyone else but me to have a moment with God and thank him for giving me an opportunity to play the game," Slavin said in a YouTube video published by the IceHogs about the player's faith. "It's something I started in juniors and thought I'd continue into pro hockey."
Slavin says there have been instances where he gets some "crap" from the other team or someone telling him in juniors that he shouldn't have been doing it because NHL scouts didn't like it. There was also one incident where a fan complained to Slavin's coaches but the staff were fully supportive of Slavin.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diRgKuKJRB4[/embed]
The 6-foot-3 forward was selected in the seventh round (193rd overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft. The Blackhawks traded Slavin to the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 23 in exchange for defenseman Hunter Drew. Slavin had four goals and three assists in 16 games with the San Diego Gulls to finish the season.
What to expect from Slavin
Slavin has already defied the odds by becoming a seventh-round draft pick to play games in the NHL. He's not the flashiest player in terms of skill but makes up for it by his ability to think about the game. With the Maple Leafs prioritizing intelligence, something that was was stressed by assistant director of player personnel Wes Clark, Slavin could potentially blossom into a bottom-six role. But he's got to tear it up with the Marlies first and then earn an NHL-level contract.
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