Adam Burt has taken more hits than most people could imagine. Born and raised in Detroit, the former National Hockey League defenseman carved out a 14-year career despite injuries that would have ended the dreams of less resilient players. Today, Burt wears a very different jersey—that of a pastor, chaplain, and author. His message: whether on the ice or in life, perseverance and faith are what ultimately lead to victory.
“I was not very good at hockey when I first started,” Burt said with a laugh, recalling his earliest days in the sport. “My father was my first coach, and I guess you can’t cut your kid. He told me, ‘You are a terrible skater.’ But he also said, ‘You always got back up again.’ That became my story. I wasn’t the most talented, but I was always going to get up. And honestly, that’s the kingdom of God too—whoever gets up the most wins.”
That grit defined Burt’s playing days. Drafted into the NHL in the late 1980s, he spent more than a decade anchoring defenses for teams including the Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Rangers. But his story began long before that, rooted in family struggles and a seed of faith planted during childhood.
A Seed Planted in Brokenness
Burt was 11 years old when his parents divorced. His father gained custody of him and his two younger siblings, while his mother, reeling from heartbreak, stumbled into a church service.
“She was really agnostic at the time, but in her brokenness she was just drawn to this church,” Burt recalled. “She can’t explain it, but there she heard the gospel, and Jesus really met her. Naturally, she wanted the same for her kids.”
That led to Burt’s first exposure to Christianity—an experience he still remembers vividly.
“My mom invited us to church, and it was a movie on the end of the world and the rapture,” he said. “I was 11 years old and terrified. At the end they did an altar call—‘Do you want to go to hell or be with Jesus?’ And I’m like, ‘Jesus, please!’”
What started as fear became genuine hunger. “Something came alive in me,” Burt said. “At 11 or 12 years old, I really became spiritually alive and began my pursuit of Jesus.”
Perseverance Through Pain
Hockey demanded more from Burt than most could endure. He rattled off a list of injuries that sounds more like a medical chart than a résumé.
“I’ve got four plates and 13 screws in the left side of my face, 23 plates and 40 screws in the right side after a slap shot, five back surgeries, knee reconstruction—you name it, I’ve had it,” he said.
But even when sidelined, Burt kept pushing. “One of my life verses has been, ‘Whatever you do, do it heartily as for the Lord and not for men.’ So when I was rehabbing, I just thought, I’m going to be faithful and push my rehab to the max. That attitude kept me going.”
It wasn’t just individual battles. Burt was part of some of hockey’s most historic moments, including the longest NHL playoff game in modern history—a five-overtime thriller in 2000 between the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We almost played nine complete periods, basically three games back-to-back-to-back,” Burt said. “Guys were on IVs in the locker room. At 2:30 in the morning, Keith Primeau streaked down the wing, let a shot go, and it hit the crossbar with this epic ping. To this day I can still hear it.”
That sound, Burt said, became a metaphor for his life and faith. “One day there’s going to be this epic ping when you breathe your last breath or Jesus cracks the sky open. I want to be able to say, ‘Lord, I left it all out there for you.’ And then hear, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’”
From Player to Pastor
After retiring from hockey, Burt made a surprising transition: ministry. Today he pastors in Manhattan and serves as chaplain for the New York Jets, bringing a unique perspective few pastors can offer.
“The players know I get their world,” Burt said. “I understand the pressure because I lived it. This isn’t a nine-to-five job where you can have a bad day. In pro sports, one bad game and someone can take your job. Or you show up one day and you’ve been traded. It’s like working at Starbucks and the next morning you’re told, ‘Sorry, you work at Dunkin Donuts now.’ That pressure is real—but it can also drive guys to their knees, and that’s where Jesus meets them.”
Burt never expected to become an NFL chaplain. The opportunity came when a Jets defensive end visited his church.
“If you can bench press 315 pounds or more, I’m going to come talk to you,” Burt joked. “So I walked up to him, and later he told me I should be their chaplain. Next thing I know, I’m trying out for the job—literally preaching my best sermon while the players voted. It was like American Idol for pastors.”
He got the gig. And for the past 17 years, Burt has been ministering to athletes facing the crushing expectations of professional football.
The Longest Game
Burt has also written a book, The Longest Game, structured like a hockey match with three periods: “Missing the Mark,” “Training to Win,” and “Playing to Win.”
“The first period is about life’s biggest questions—Who am I? Why am I here? What’s wrong with the world? How can it be fixed?” Burt explained. “I believe Christianity answers those better than any other worldview.”
The second period, “Training to Win,” focuses on purpose. “The opposite of depression isn’t happiness—it’s purpose,” he said. “God has a distinct purpose for each of us.”
The third period, “Playing to Win,” challenges Christians not to sit on the sidelines. “In my career there were games where I got a DNP—dressed but did not play. I see a lot of Christians like that. They go to church, but they’re not impacting the kingdom. I want to call people into the action. It’s much better in the game than on the bench.”
Encouragement for the Overtime of Life
For those feeling worn out, Burt offers hope. “We serve a God of the suddenlies,” he said. “In the book of Mark, it’s suddenly this, suddenly that. God can transform your circumstances in a moment. If you’re in a valley right now, the good news is the Lord is your shepherd—He’s taking you through. So hang on and be faithful.”
That faithfulness, Burt believes, is what defines both great athletes and committed Christians. It’s about leaving everything on the ice—or in life—so that when the final buzzer sounds, nothing is left undone.
“I just want to see people win in life,” Burt said. “God’s given us talents, and one day He’ll ask what we did with them. My encouragement is simple: get up, get in the game, and make the most of every opportunity while you still have breath in your lungs.”
Burt’s book, The Longest Game, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at encnj.org.
For Adam Burt, the lessons of hockey and the message of the gospel are inseparable. Both demand resilience, courage, and the will to get back up after every fall. And in his eyes, that’s what it means to truly play—and live—to win.
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