Alex Worthington - When I walked away from hockey, God restored my purpose.
- Author
- The Gospel In The Game
- Published
- Fri 11 Jul 2025
- Episode Link
- None
From the brink of quitting hockey forever to signing a professional contract, goaltender Alex Worthington's journey reveals the transformative power of finding identity beyond the crease.
Growing up as a pastor's kid, Worthington experienced both the support and pressure that comes with balancing faith and high-performance athletics. When his hockey career hit rock bottom during his 17-year-old season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, Worthington found himself spiraling into negativity, placing his entire identity in his performance between the pipes.
"I put so much pressure on myself," Worthington confesses, detailing how playing for a struggling team that won only 10 games that season pushed him to his mental breaking point. After suffering a concussion, he made the radical decision to walk away from hockey completely - a choice that seemed career-ending but ultimately proved redemptive.
During his eight months away from the game, Worthington reconnected with his faith foundation, experienced spiritual renewal, and discovered a profound truth: "Hockey's not who I am. I'm a man of God." This perspective shift transformed not just his approach to the sport but his entire mindset about success, failure, and purpose.
When an unexpected opportunity arose to return to hockey, Worthington approached the game with fresh eyes, eventually working his way back to major junior hockey with the Oil Kings before signing with the Manitoba Moose. His testimony offers powerful insights for athletes at all levels struggling with identity, performance pressure, and finding meaning beyond the scoreboard.
Whether you're battling your own identity crisis in sports, parenting an athlete, or simply seeking inspiration from authentic stories of faith in action, Worthington's journey demonstrates that sometimes stepping away from what we think defines us becomes the very path that leads to discovering who we truly are.
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