Jeremiah Slavin begins Carolina Hurricanes prospect camp trying to ‘one-up’ his brother
Jeremiah Slavin talks like his older brother. He skates a bit like his older brother and plays the same position as his older brother.
What he’d really like to do is play for the same team as his older brother, defenseman Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jeremiah Slavin, 17, hopes to one day be in the NHL and is taking one of his first significant steps this week. Invited to the Canes’ prospects development camp, he’s among those hoping to catch the eye of coaches and management, just as Jaccob Slavin did at the Canes’ rookie camp in 2014.
His goal: “One-up him,” Jeremiah Slavin said Monday, smiling.
And Jaccob’s advice to little bro?
“Just work hard, have a good attitude, be a good person and give all the glory to God,” Jeremiah said to the media after the first day of camp.
Like Jaccob, Jeremiah Slavin is a young man of strong faith. His Twitter bio mentions simply Colorado College – where he’s headed – and Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
That’s a trait of the Slavin family of Erie, Colorado. It’s a God-fearing family. It’s also a hockey-playing family.
“I grew up watching all my brothers play,” Jeremiah said. “Even my sister. She was the best hockey player out of all of us. She taught me and Jaccob a lot. I learned from all of them. They pushed me every day to be better.”
Their sister, Jordan Slavin, 30, was a defenseman who played four years at the University of North Dakota. She also was a member of Team USA’s U18 World Junior Championship team in 2010 that took home a silver medal.
Josiah Slavin, 23, is a forward and already has made it to the NHL, beating the odds. A seventh-round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018, he had a big development camp, went to Colorado College and made his NHL debut this past season with the Blackhawks, playing in 15 games.
A third brother, Justin, played hockey when he was younger but went into law enforcement in Erie.
Then there’s Jaccob, a fourth-round pick by Carolina in 2014. He has become one of the NHL’s best at age 28, a former All-Star and 2021 Lady Byng Trophy winner.
“We’re a real competitive family,” Jeremiah said. “Growing up, it was always, ‘I’ve got to do better, got to do better.’ I’ve always stretched myself to try to one-up them.”
The Slavin family has had nights when Jaccob, Josiah and Jeremiah all have been involved in games that were being broadcast on TV or streamed. What to do? They bunch three TVs together in the living room.
“All three will be going at once, which happened quite a bit this season,” Slavin said, smiling again. “It’s kind of chaotic but a lot of fun.”
Jeremiah spent the past year in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, playing 42 games. Despite being a rugged defender at 6-2 and 198 pounds, he had four minutes in penalties for the season.
“It was a four-minute penalty,” he said. “I accidentally high-sticked someone and it drew a tiny bit of blood. Just like Jaccob.”
Jaccob Slavin drew a double-minor for high-sticking in the Canes’ Game 6 playoff loss to the New York Rangers, leaving him steamed after the game. It has given the two something else to talk about.
Jeremiah, after a full agenda at prospects camp, said he hoped to visit Jaccob’s house in Raleigh on Friday.
“If he doesn’t have a baby and staying at the hospital,” he said.
Jaccob and Kylie Slavin have a daughter, Emersyn, and are expecting the birth of a baby son this month.
And if the baby comes in the next day or two?
“I’m going to go over and meet my new-born nephew,” Jeremiah Slavin said. “That’ll be good.”
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 7:39 AM with the headline "Jeremiah Slavin begins Carolina Hurricanes prospect camp trying to ‘one-up’ his brother."
