Gary Steffes didn't always consider himself a church going guy. The Michigan native's only chapel growing up was an ice rink.
Gary had a productive collegiate career at Miami of Ohio, until his senior year when a significant decline in playing time put him in a bad place.
"When I went from a guy that got taken out of the lineup, my identity and significance went to a zero." Steffes explains his self worth was defined through hockey, and when that was fading away it left him with no where to turn.
"I remember I was in my dorm room and I fell on my knees and said three words, god help me." Steffes recounts the experience and describes it as the first prayer he ever had answered. "Ever since that day I'm no longer a hockey player, I'm a christian that happens to play hockey."
Joining the Athletes in Action sports ministry, Gary says, helped to free him from a fear of failure and despite a less that stellar final year in college, a door opened with the Tulsa. He joined the Oilers in 2010, and brought this new found openness about his faith with him.
"Christ told people the truth and invited people. That's what I want to do, I want to live it out and tell people about it, but never force it down their throat."
Gary's approach, instead of making teammates uncomfortable, fit right in.
Goalie Ian Keserich says Gary's purity has helped clean his life up, and denies there being any rift on the team because of his religious views. "Everyone respects him for who is, either they take his advice or they let him be."
The team's chaplain Pastor Bruce Ewing also acknowledges he's seen an open faith be resented on other teams, but not this one. "It's been very contagious for the team and had a unifying affect."
Gary once made hockey his only religion. Now hockey is how he shares his religion.
