Dallas Stars’ Player Praises God for 1,000 NHL Games: ‘Truly Blessed’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Matt Duchene, a center for the NHL’s Dallas Stars, praised God after he achieved the 1,000-game mark.
“I just wanna thank the Good Lord above for the life and career You’ve given me…I’m grateful for it every single day. I feel truly blessed,” he wrote on Instagram last December.
“Last night was beyond surreal…the whole night all I could think about was what 10 year old me woulda thought…can’t express how grateful I am and how much God has blessed me to live my dream everyday and get to play 1000 games in the best league in the world,” Duchene continued.
The athlete also expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped him achieve the major milestone.
“I wanna give a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey…my wife, kids, parents, friends, extended family and all the coaches, teachers, and mentors I’ve been so lucky to have…last night, to me, was more about you as it was about me. I would never be here without you,” he wrote.
“To all my teammates along the way, I’ve been so lucky to play alongside you and thank all of you who have reached out to me the last couple days… it has blown me away how many messages I’ve gotten, it’s meant the world,” Duchene said.
Now, as the Stars seek a Stanley Cup Championship, Duchene has one goal in mind: to love God and love people.
“It’s very hard to balance the values you learn in your faith with the impulses, the lifestyle, the nature of pro sports,” Duchene said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2022. “…Even on the ice, you’re walking a tightrope.”
“Two rules, you know? ‘Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor.’ Those two rules, I definitely follow those two rules. I’ve found my niche in pro sports through that,” he added.
“The 33-year-old was drafted by Colorado third overall in 2009 and played his first eight NHL seasons with the franchise. He was traded in November 2017 to the Ottawa Senators, who traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in February 2019, and he signed with the Nashville Predators as a free agent that following summer. After four years in Nashville, Duchene signed with the Stars early in free agency last offseason,” Sports Spectrum reported.
For more inspiring sports stories, check out Sports Spectrum.
Movieguide® previously reported on Jacob Slavin, another NHL player who is using his faith and platform to make the world a better place:
Not only is Jaccob Slavin a big asset on the ice for the Carolina Hurricanes, he also serves God as he seeks to end human trafficking.
Slavin and his wife, Kylie, joined forces with the International Justice Mission to raise money for the Fight to Freedom campaign.
Last November, the couple announced the partnership and their goal to raise $1 million.
IJM aims to “protect people in poverty from violence by rescuing victims, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors to safety and strength, and helping local law enforcement build a safe future that lasts.”
“That is why we decided to start the Fight for Freedom Campaign,” Kylie explained. “In this campaign, we are hoping to raise $1 million by way of a matching grant, meaning that, up to $500,000, we will personally match every dollar.”
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