Athletes for Christ............................................................Pages

Page 20 Merry Christmas! December 2022 Athletes for Christ...Jean Pronovost

Found Jesus, playing in Atlanta

He was the eleventh of twelve children. Jean Joseph Denis Pronovost was born on December 18, 1945, in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec. Jean's older brother, Marcel, was playing in the NHL in a successful pro hockey career before Jean had even put on a pair of skates. But even though Jean was younger than Marcel, he was still Jean's idol growing up, as he wasn't around when

Jean was in his hockey development stage. Jean, having a brother that was an All Star defenseman, really helped to persuade him to play a well rounded style of hockey. With defense as his strength, it was his best bet to guarantee a successful career.

In 1968, the Boston Bruins made a significant mistake when, on May 21, they sold Jean for cash to the Pittsburgh Penguins. While playing for the Penguins, Jean's full potential came out and he started to shine. During the next ten years in Pittsburgh, Jean became a player of consistency and stability, gliding on the right wing with his speed and resolve, defending against other teams' top forwards. Digging the puck out of the corners, he also made great passes and could score the big goals.

In the 1975-1976 season, with Syl Apps Jr. and Lowell McDonald on his line, Jean reached the height of his career when he scored 52 goals in 80 games. But in the 1978 season, Jean was traded to the Atlanta Flames for Greg Sheppard. In Atlanta, Jean played his kind of hockey, solid two-way game. But the team broke down and couldn't compete for the Stanley Cup...the one piece of hardware that he had not won in his career. The Atlanta Flames had talent to win, but they couldn't get to that next level of winning consistently.

Jean's last two seasons were played with the Washington Capitals. The difference between them and Atlanta was that they had so much desire to win, but they didn't have enough talent to get the job done. After those two seasons, he played 69 games in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and after that in 1982, Jean retired from hockey.

December 2022 Merry Christmas! Page 21

After Jean returned from road trips, he liked to just sleep in a bit, but that was a hard thing for him to do in his house. His wife Diane would put the vaccum on early, in hopes of getting him up to watch their two boys. This was Jean's wake up call every morning when he was back home.

But this one morning was different. Jean had noticed something weird; it was strangely quiet. Diane didn't have the vaccum going and the boys were eating breakfast without make noise. Jean decided to get up and as he walked into the kitchen, he asked Diane what was going on. Diane then told him that she had become a Christian and gave her life to Jesus; then she told him that He had changed her life, everything is different now. When Jean was traded from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, he told Diane not to go near Mrs. Kea and her Bible study group. Jean was warned about the large Atlanta defenseman named Ed Kea, who was a Christian. However, Diane still went to a few Bible studies that the other Flames' and NFL Falcons' wives attended.

Now what was captain Jean going to do? This was a big problem for him. God was now working on Jean; he was shocked by all the changes in Diane and his two sons, Erick and Marty. Even though his teammates warned him to stay away from Ed Kea, he had been very shocked on how much peace he had in his life, a peace that Jean didn't have, even with hockey success. With Diane suggesting that Jean should pick up the Bible and read it for himself, he decided to sit down and read it. Soon after reading the Bible, he realized that he would have to trust God or go separate ways with his wife Diane. When Jean realized he was a sinner, and God loved him and wanted him saved, through His loving grace, Jean made the decision to accept Jesus

Athletes for Christ...Jean Pronovost Christ into his heart, bringing joy and peace upon him. Jean was then traded to the Washington Capitals, where he continued to live his faith in and out of the rink. He was always concerned about his teammates; this would show when he would take them under his wing. By helping players like Mike Gartner, Mike would become one of the great right wingers to play in the NHL. Jean was very passionate about sharing Jesus with the other players and their families. Jean and Diane opened their house for Bible study and they felt the joy of having other teammates also feel that same joy and peace of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, such as: Wes Jarvis, Ryan Walter and Mike Gartner to name a few of them. Just think of the impact that Jean and Diane had on players and their families over the past 30 years! John 15:16 says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." Jean, after retiring from hockey, worked at Emmanuel Christian School in Dollard des Ormeaux in West Island of Montreal, Quebec. Jean is now retired and he is living in Calgary with Diane where they attend Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel.