Inside a Carolina Hurricanes defensive duo’s chemistry: Friendship forged in faith
In hockey, it’s important for defensive partners to have good chemistry on the ice, to instinctively have a good feel for each other.
Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield’s bond goes deeper than that: They have a relationship that is professional, but also personal — spiritual.
When Chatfield first came to the Canes in 2021, Slavin was there to listen, help, encourage.
When Chatfield was married, Slavin was his best man. When Chatfield was baptized, Slavin performed the Christian ceremony — in the pool at his Raleigh home.
“With all your teammates you have chemistry,” Chatfield said in an exclusive interview. “But to have somebody as close as him since the first day I’ve come in, and then guide me in that, it’s truly a blessing.
“He’s known about all my struggles, because I was very open with him and talking to him about stuff. Whether it was my first year or second year, getting scratched or things like that, he’s always been there for me and he’s been my best friend.
“Just his guidance, and seeing how he is as a father, as a teammate, as a leader, I learned a lot from him and I appreciate every single day. And especially being able to work with him, play with him. It’s special, for sure.” Chatfield paused and smiled.
“We always joked around about playing together, but I never would have imagined we would play together,” he said. “And I think we’ve been good together.”
Slavin finds complement in Chatfield
Slavin, 32, missed 39 of the first 43 games this season as he dealt with undisclosed lower- and upper-body issues. But he helped Team USA to the gold medal at the Milan Winter Olympics, and has been back at his best as the Canes finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and then swept Ottawa and then Philadelphia in the first two rounds of Stanley Cup playoffs.
Slavin, considered by many NHL observers to be the league’s top defensive defenseman, has counted Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton and Brent Burns among his defensive partners the past few seasons. In Chatfield, he has another right-handed shooting D-man to complement the pairing, one willing to bump and grind in the D zone while also willing to jump into the offensive play.
“All my previous partners have been really talented offensively and great partners,” Slavin said Saturday. “It’s not that ‘Chatty’ doesn’t have the offense. It comes back to the mindset of really making sure we really defend well, first, then go from there.
“His speed, his gap control, his skating are probably the best parts of his game, his strengths. It’s in-your-face, hard-to-beat. He has developed into a really good defenseman for us.”
Defense first
Chatfield, like Slavin, is used on the penalty kill, good at it and has had a special playoff moment. His shorthanded goal in Game 3 of the Flyers series was the game-winner in a 4-1 victory and made him one of three Canes defenseman in franchise history to have a “shorty” in the playoffs, joining Brendan Smith (2022) and Mike Commodore (2006).
Chatfield took a pass from Jordan Staal off the rush and beat Flyers goalie Dan Vladar high to the blocker side.
”In the playoffs, every shift, every shot on net matters,” Chatfield said. “You never know which bounce is going to be the one. Our PK has been sharp, and it’s nice to see that bounce go in for us.”
Slavin has averaged a team-high 24:10 in ice time in the eight playoff games, and Chatfield is third at 22:54. The D corps has been solid and with goalie Frederik Andersen sharp and controlling the crease, the Canes have allowed 10 goals. “They’re two really good players who take pride in how they play that position, and defending,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Chatty’s a world-class player in his own right. With the speed he brings and the way he defends it’s real special. You put them together and they’re a tough pairing to play against.”
A year ago, Chatfield was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round against the Washington Capitals with a hip injury. He hoped to return, but the Canes bowed out in five games in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers.
Chatfield, a native Michigander, was sidelined with a concussion early this season, but played 72 games and had a plus-15 plus/minus rating that was second-best on the team.
Becoming a Christian man
Slavin, raised in Colorado, has long been known as a man of strong faith, one who has said that neither the game nor any success or accolades given him would ever define him. Slavin said Chatfield first approached him about coming to the church that Jaccob and Kylie Slavin attend in Raleigh. Before long, the two D-men used the team trips and plane rides to talk longer and deeper about religion, the gospel.
Chatfield and his wife, Drew, both were baptized at the Slavins’ home.
“The same day. It was a really special moment, something you never forget,” Chatfield said.
‘We know what we’re capable of’
The Hurricanes could go on to win a Stanley Cup this year, which would be unforgettable. They’re off to the best possible start in the playoffs and have been able to mix rest and practice after the series sweeps.
They’re also ready to get back to it.
“We know what we have to do to win,” Chatfield said. “We’ve stuck to our system and our compete level has been through the roof, and that’s something we can’t get off of.
“And at the end of the day, we have to keep getting better. We know what we have, and we believe in each other, and we know what we’re capable of.”
Regardless of how it unfolds, the Slavin-Chatfield bond and his admiration for his D partner will remain strong, Chatfield said.
“It’s how great of a guy he is and how much I love him and how he is in the community and how he interacts with his teammates,”: Chatfield said. “Nobody’s perfect, but he’s a guy to look up to.”
