Wild alum Nate Prosser opens up about challenges of being a Christian in professional hockey

For over a decade, Nate Prosser was a mainstay in the National Hockey League. The Elk River native spent nearly the entirety of his career on his hometown team. 

Throughout his career, he says one thing was constant: his unwavering faith. Growing up in Elk River, he says it was instilled in him from an early age. 

"That one decision my dad made to say, 'Yes, my household is going to be Christians,' that decision wasn't just for him," Prosser said. "It's amazing to see the amount of branches that have come and the influence that it's had on the people around us."

Prosser says his faith continued throughout his playing days in high school, college and into the pros. 

"There's an understanding of what my foundation is and why I am here on this earth," he said. "Thats to love others and be a disciple. When you say yes to Jesus, there's someone that said, 'You say yes to full-time ministry,' and that's stuck with me."

Prosser says when he entered the NHL, he realized how big of a challenge that could end up being. 

"Christianity and hockey don't mesh the way they do in other sports," he said. "There's a while there in hockey where if you're a Christian, you didn't even want to tell people about it - because it made you seem soft. Someone who didn't have a dog in them. I wanted to show the opposite. I wanted to play like a dog and make people say, that guy is a grinder."

Prosser says by prioritizing his life with faith at the forefront, the rest fell into place. 

"This is what I believe, this is who I am," he said. "Hockey's a part of my life, it's what I do, but it's not who I am. I'm a child of God."

Listen to the full story on "Bigger Than Belief"

You can listen or watch Prosser's full story on "Bigger Than Belief," an original WCCO podcast hosted by Adam Duxter. Bigger Than Belief is a weekly, interfaith podcast that examines belief through the personal stories of believers – with a goal of discussing faith in a way that is relevant, true, and easy to understand. 

You can find new episodes of "Bigger Than Belief" each week wherever you get your podcasts, or on WCCO's YouTube page.