What happens when an NHL star encounters Jesus in the middle of a professional hockey career?

In this episode of Encounter Grace, Jason McKnight sits down with former NHL player, Stanley Cup Champion, and leadership coach Ryan Walter for an unforgettable conversation about hockey, faith, leadership, mindset, and spiritual growth.

Ryan shares stories from 15 seasons in the NHL, including playoff intensity, guarding Wayne Gretzky, winning the Stanley Cup with Montreal, and the culture inside professional sports organizations. But beyond the hockey stories is something deeper — the story of how Christ got his attention and transformed his life.

They also dive into:

🏒 Why the Stanley Cup playoffs are different

🧠 The power of culture and leadership language

✝️ Ryan’s journey to faith in Christ

📖 How reading the Gospels changed everything

🔥 Flow state, performance, and spiritual attentiveness

💭 The Thinking Tendencies model from his book Breakout

❤️ Marriage, family, discipleship, and staying spiritually hungry

This conversation is full of wisdom, humility, joy, and practical insight for leaders, parents, coaches, pastors, and anyone wanting to grow in Christ and lead well.

📚 Learn more about Ryan’s books Breakout and Hungry at: RyanWalter.com

If this episode encouraged you, would you take a moment to like, comment, subscribe, and share? It really helps us continue growing the Encounter Grace community.

#EncounterGrace #RyanWalter #StanleyCup #NHL #ChristianPodcast #Leadership #FaithAndLeadership #Discipleship #Breakout #FlowState #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLeadership #WayneGretzky #MontrealCanadiens #Hockey #JesusChangesEverything #Mindset #LeadershipDevelopment