The Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL's Unlikeliest Superstar
It is wild to think that the USA’s favorite shutdown defenseman nearly didn’t make it into the NHL at all
The Carolina Hurricanes are blessed to have Jaccob Slavin.
It is a fact that fans in Carolina and front-office executives have known for a very long time. It has been understood by his teammates and even by those he faces. But it wasn’t until the 4 Nations Faceoff that the hockey world at large truly realized, ‘Hey, this guy is good!’
Now, everyone and their mother has taken an interest in the superstar talent that has been hiding in plain sight, and everyone wants to know who this guy is and why he plays the way he does.
After ten seasons in the NHL, the Hurricanes’ own ‘Minister of Defense’ has suddenly become a household name. Considering his defensive prowess and top mark statistics, it is wild to think that the USA’s favorite shutdown defenseman nearly didn’t make it into the NHL at all.
This is the story of the NHL’s Unlikeliest Superstar–an underdog who traveled a unique path to the NHL and the impact he’s made beyond the scoreboard.
The Origin of the Carolina Hurricanes’ Superstar Defenseman
The Old Prospect Days
A long time ago in a small town in northern Colorado, the Hurricanes’ star defenseman…was a goaltender. That's right, before shutting down forwards from the blue line, Slavin was denying goals from the blue paint. Of course, that venture didn’t last very long, as he soon hung his mask in favor of a helmet in the ol’ youth team.
The young defenseman’s abilities continued to grow, though he remained mostly unknown. It seemed that it would stay that way, too, as the USA’s top junior ice hockey league, the USHL, passed on him in their draft–a brutal blow for any young American player.
However, one day, a hockey miracle changed the trajectory of his career forever.
The Chicago Steel, a USHL hockey club struggling to compete, requested him to play ten games with their team. Scott McConnell, the Head Coach who joined the Steel at the same time Slavin did, was impressed. "He started playing for us and we couldn't get him off the ice. . .So one game turned into 10 and then the next thing you know it's like, 'Hey, we're just going to go ahead and take him.' "
As he left his hometown to build his skills in Chicago, it became evident that something more was building in his life.
“We were sitting in the locker room, and (an assistant coach) looked at me and said, 'Jaccob, what kind of faith do you have?’”, Slavin told Sports Spectrum. “I looked at him, puzzled by the question. 'What are you talking about? I'm Christian'. He was like, 'No, do you have your own personal relationship with Jesus?' I was just being challenged left and right to really not rely on my parents' faith anymore, and I had to have my own personal relationship with Jesus.”
Slavin has frequently cited God as the reason for his success, often placing the credit on Him whenever appropriate.
“My sister came up with this hashtag, ‘AGTG’, and it stands for 'All Glory to God'.
“And so, in anything we do on and off the ice, we want to make sure we're giving the glory to God, because He's worthy of it. He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins, and so now we live for him.”
Onward to Raleighwood
On a warm June weekend in 2012, Pittsburgh was the stage for a purely chaotic NHL Entry Draft. The Pittsburgh Penguins shipped Jordan Staal to Carolina, the Calgary Flames drafted Mark Jankowski well above where he had ranked, and Frederik Andersen was drafted for the second time into the NHL.
Wild, wild days across the league, and especially for future ‘Canes.
When most assumed that former Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford was scraping the bottom of the barrel, it just so happened that he came up with the best of the batch. With their final pick of the fourth round—a pick they’d acquired from the New Jersey Devils during the regular season—they selected Slavin.
The choice came out of left field, as the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau did not have his name on the list for the top 210 North American Skaters, nor even their preliminary 250.
“When I was drafted by the Canes, I never thought, 'Ooh, Raleigh’, like that's the spot for us”, Slavin said during an interview in 2023. “I hardly knew anything about the Carolina Hurricanes. Then, up until I signed with them, I was just like, 'Why? Why Raleigh?’ And now, you look back over those eight years, and you just see God's sovereignty and His hand in all of it.”
On July 1, 2015, three years after being drafted, his role was made official as he accepted an entry-level contract with the Hurricanes. Once the season started, he spent only 14 games with the Hurricanes’ former AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, before the big club called him up.
As you can imagine, he made an early impact, soon playing top line minutes after just a little over a month in the league. He brought a strong defensive edge–something the Hurricanes desperately needed. And while it is a fickle stat, by the end of the season, he was the only blueliner on the upside in plus/minus. It may have only been +1, but it looked mighty fine compared to Alternate Captain Justin Faulk’s -22.
To this day, Slavin has not yet posted a season with a plus/minus rating in the negatives.
More Than Just a Game
Slavin’s relationship with Jesus has been the X-Factor for him. With Christianity being a minority in the NHL, he has aimed to both uplift his siblings in the Lord and minister throughout the sport. “We’ve got a great mission field”, he said. “There's not a lot of people in the world who are Christians who can go and minister to the top 0.1% of the world, and so it's a fun platform and a fun opportunity to be able to minister to these guys.”
He further discussed what that spiritual development has been like over recent seasons with the team: “For being an NHL team, we have quite a few believers. . .Me, (Spencer Martin), and (Jalen Chatfield) were doing bible studies almost every road trip together in the rooms and just walking through scripture together, and it was super fun. . .Then we've got other guys on the team who are always asking questions and wondering what we're doing and talking about it.”
In Conclusion
To finish it off, just as it started…
The Carolina Hurricanes are blessed to have Jaccob Slavin.
Despite the odds, the Colorado-born blueliner not only made it to the NHL but also managed to become one of the best defensemen actively playing the game. He continuously proves time and again just how valuable true-blue defensemen are in a league where the role is primarily treasured for those who focus more on in-your-face offense.
As of the time of writing, Slavin has not yet been announced as a member of the US National Team for the upcoming Milano Cortina Olympic Games. However, following his performance in the 4 Nations Faceoff and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he is expected to be a hard lock for the roster.
Whether Slavin is playing for the national team or only the Hurricanes in the upcoming season, you can bet he’ll be doing it while shining a light on something more than himself.
AGTG!