It's
all His doing
By
Jonathan Cheechoo
Ever
since I can remember, hockey has been part of my life.
I got my first pair of skates when I was just one year
old. Dad would flood the backyard, and during my younger
years, I would play for hours. 
Images
from Hockey Night in Canada filled my Saturday nights
season after season, at home with my family or over at
my grandfather's. We all love the game.
My
home of Moose Factory, Ontario , is an isolated northern
location on James Bay . It isn't known for producing professional
hockey players. So the thrill of playing for the San Jose
Sharks has been all the more exciting for me. I know it's
of the Lord, because hockey is something He helped me
grow into.
I
decided when I was 14, in Grade 8, that during my high
school years I wanted to leave Moose Factory to play competitively.
I went to Timmins for Triple A Bantam, then Capuskasing
for Triple A Midget. Then I played Jr. B for the Kitchener
Dutchmen. In 1997, I was picked 5 th overall in the Ontario
Hockey League draft by the Belleville Bulls.
On
right wing with Belleville , I had an excellent season,
with 76 points. I amassed 31 goals and 45 assists. It
was a great year for me and proved to be the final stepping
stone to launch me into my dream of being drafted into
professional hockey.
I've
had a lot of support along the way. When the time came
for the draft on June 27, 1998, more than 100 fans from
Moose Factory went all the way to Buffalo , New York ,
to encourage me. They had to be really excited for me
as it took more than a day of travel.
Later,
they had a Jonathan Cheechoo Day for me back home. I signed
pictures and answered a bunch of questions. There were
about 250 kids and 300 adults at the community center.
It's nice to know all these people are interested in what
I'm doing.
Family
my biggest support
My
family has really been my biggest support. They've been
behind me 100 percent. It's been that way my whole life.
From
the time I was very little, my parents have been showing
me God's love and teaching me. They taught me that according
to God's Word, the Bible, I was a sinner. I needed God's
forgiveness. It was following a church service when we
had a guest speaker that I went forward when the invitation
was given and someone led me in a prayer to accept Jesus
as my personal Savior. From that time on I have tried
to put the Lord first in my life.
Playing
as a Christian in a professional sports league like the
NHL has put challenges on my walk with the Lord. But God
has helped me and I can be a testimony to people He puts
me in contact with. There's a lot of temptation but I'm
not worried. Now, of course there will be new challenges.
Respected
Everyone
knows where I stand, and that's respected. I haven't had
much of a problem with racism. I get it occasionally,
but it's not too bad. Sometimes in the heat of battle,
words slip. But hockey is such an intense game.
Now
that I've made it to the NHL and played in the Stanley
Cup finals and on the All Stars team, I'm excited about
what lies ahead. There aren't a lot of Natives who have
made it this far. I'm a goal scorer, and those Native
players who have made it haven't been goal scorers. There
haven't really been any since the days when Reggie played
for the Philadelphia Flyers. This is my opportunity to
show that we're just as good as anyone else.
I
feel God has really had His blessing over me. If you live
for Him, He'll bless you. It's all His doing. I just work
hard and I know He'll help me out.
