Former NHL star David Backes. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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David Backes recently retired after a stellar 15-year career in the National Hockey League, where he became one of the fiercest competitors and most dependable teammates in the league. He spent 10 of those seasons with the St. Louis Blues, where he was named to three All-Star teams and served as captain.
Backes spent the final years of his NHL career with the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks before announcing his retirement on Sept. 9. Backes was also a two-time Olympian, helping the U.S. to win a silver medal in 2010.
He joins the Get in the Game Podcast to reflect on his career, share his and his wife’s heart for service (particularly as it relates to animal activism), share how his faith impacted his career, and what he hopes his legacy will be.
(This interview was recorded prior to Backes’ retirement announcement.)
Sting Ray Robb in May 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
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Our guest today is Sting Ray Robb (yes, that is his real name), a race car driver in the IndyCar Series.
He shares about how his faith has shaped his identity beyond racing results, the importance of Scripture in his life, and the challenges of being a believer in a largely secular sport. He emphasizes the significance of community, the power of leading by example, and the need to lean into doubt as a means of growth.
Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
The Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators on an expiring contract in July 2024. It worked out so well for both sides that they agreed on an eight-year, $72 million extension before Chychrun could even test free agency.
Washington finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference, and Chychrun posted career-bests in goals (20), points (47) and plus-minus (17). He also tied a career-high with 27 assists.
The 27-year-old has been even better this season, collecting 11 goals and 14 assists in the Capitals’ first 30 games. After Monday night, he is leading all NHL defenseman in goals, his 25 points rank sixth among defensemen, and he is fifth in the NHL with a plus-minus of 24. Washington sits atop the Eastern Conference with a 18-9-3 record.
On Sunday, Chychrun’s 11th goal opened the scoring in a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I think every team wants to be able to win those type of games, those tight, low-scoring games where there’s not much room out there,” he said after the game. “That’s two highly skilled teams, so for it to be held to a 1-0 game late is, I think, a credit to both sides.”
A first-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, Chychrun spent six full seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Senators midway through the 2022-23 season. One of the main things he credits for his emergence since arriving in Washington D.C. is his faith in God.
“It’s been a big part of my life this year, just starting to build a relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which has helped me a ton,” Chychrun said in May. “I think it’s made me a completely better person, better teammate, better son, brother, husband. It’s given me a different perspective on even coming to the rink every day.”
In the same press conference, Chychrun shared that he and some of his teammates had participated in a Bible study throughout the season. What started as three people turned into a group of between eight and 10.
Building an identity rooted in the Lord and being able to discuss his faith journey with teammates has helped Chychrun build deeper relationships: with God, with teammates and with his wife.
“It was a special, kind of, thing we had going this year that I think has helped a lot of us,” he said. “[It] has become a huge part of my life, for me and my wife.”
After the Capitals were upset by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs, Chychrun celebrated the season and his new contract in an Instagram post. In the post, he shared a Bible verse that was a source of inspiration throughout the season.
“Grateful beyond words for this season — my first diving deep into my faith, which has transformed me as a player and a person,” he wrote. “Colossians 3:17 says, ‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’ This verse carried me through every challenge and triumph, on and off the ice. Huge thanks to our incredible fans and the organization for believing in me — I’m honored to sign on for eight more years.”
Nick and Marcus Foligno have built long NHL careers on toughness, leadership and a willingness to rise in big moments. But this season, perhaps the moment that matters most won’t show up in a box score.
Though the two brothers play on separate teams, they’re teaming up to raise money for breast cancer research in honor of their late mother, Janis, who died in 2009. Through a partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, NHL, NHLPA and the V Foundation via Hockey Fights Cancer, the Foligno Face-Off has become one of the most meaningful initiatives of their careers.
“It’s really special,” Nick, the Blackhawks captain, recently told NHL.com. “Obviously, it’s something that’s near and dear to us with our mother and losing her to breast cancer. But the fight continues and that’s something Marcus and I have always said we would do in her honor is to continue to fight and continue to find ways to make it a better outcome for somebody else. I think she’d be proud of that.”
This year’s campaign invites fans to donate $17 — a nod to the number both brothers wear — or whatever they can give. One hundred percent of every donation goes directly to the V Foundation for breast cancer research, expanding the impact of the Janis Foligno Foundation, which has raised more than $1.2 million for research and patient care.
For the brothers, this is more than a cause. It’s a continuation of the life their mother helped shape. Her voice, her presence and her joy still echo in the memories that shaped them. While their dad, Mike, played in the NHL, Janis was often the one driving them to their own games and practices, which were often several hours away.
She made plenty of sacrifices to help both brothers reach their dreams of playing professional hockey.
“Our dad played hockey, and we listened to him for advice on how to play,” Marcus, a forward for the Wild, told The Athletic in 2023. “But if it wasn’t for our mom getting us where we needed to go, being such a supporter and booster of our confidence, I don’t think we would have made it.”
“She was the drill sergeant in the family, the motivator, the everything, really,” Nick told The Athletic. “She was the rock — which is why it really rocked our family when we lost her.”
Though she never saw the full arc of their NHL careers, she did see both boys get drafted and saw the start of Nick’s career after he was drafted in 2006 and made his debut in 2007. Marcus was drafted in June 2009 — by the Buffalo Sabres, one of the teams his father played for — and Janis passed away in July.
“It was emotional,” Marcus told The Athletic. “You think your mother hung on for that day, to see you get drafted. It was weird how full circle it was. Buffalo. It could have been anywhere in the NHL. She knew I’d be going home with a lot of family and friends there. She knew I’d be good. I’d be safe. It was a crazy, crazy, special moment.”
The lessons she instilled carry forward in both men’s lives, now shaping the way both brothers parent their own kids and the way they lead in their locker rooms.
Their faith in God also plays a central role in how they move through grief, success and every season in between. Both are actively involved with Hockey Ministries International.
Nick often returns to the clarity of Romans 12:12, which says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
“I just love how simple and direct a message it is,” he once told HMI. “I think it perfectly describes the journey we go on in our faith in Christ. Always be hopeful because without it, I firmly believe we are lost. When hard times come, be patient and strong and know it won’t last. And lastly be constantly in dialogue with Jesus because to me that’s how you stay connected.”
Marcus said he’s fortunate to be able to play the game he loves “with Christ guiding me through all the ups and downs.”
“Attending team chapels throughout the season also helps me,” he once told HMI. “Our schedule is demanding and it’s easy to get caught up in uncontrollable events. Chapel provides a place for me and some of my teammates to sit down, reflect and grow our faith together. It helps us see the bigger picture and ease the stresses that come with our job — and to let go and focus on Jesus.”
Nick missed the first of his face-offs with Marcus (Nov. 26) due to injury, but the brothers are scheduled to meet three more times this season (Jan. 27, March 17 and March 19). Each time, fans can choose between Team Nick or Team Marcus, and each donor will be entered to win a Hockey Fights Cancer jersey signed by both brothers, as well as a signed puck from one of the teams.
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Our guest today is Matthew Boyd, starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. In 2025, Boyd was named to the NL All-Star team and led the Cubs to the playoffs with a career-high 14 wins, to go along with a 3.21 ERA and 154 strikeouts.
Matthew Boyd joins Scott Linebrink to discuss his perspective on playing baseball as a divine calling rather than just a sport. He emphasizes the importance of preparation, daily commitment, and the role of faith in overcoming challenges.
