Former Islander Brock Nelson aims to join his family's legacy of Olympic hockey champions. As of Wednesday evening, Nelson had a crucial task ahead of him: watching the new Netflix documentary about his uncle, Dave Christian, who was part of the iconic 1980 U.S. Olympic 'Miracle on Ice' team. Despite the documentary's emotional impact, Nelson hadn't watched it yet, prioritizing it for the evening before the games began. Nelson's family hockey history is impressive: his grandfather, Bill Christian, and great-uncle, Roger Christian, won gold in Squaw Valley in 1960, and Dave Christian achieved the most famous victory in American sports history by winning gold in Lake Placid. Nelson, a first-time Olympian at 34, understands the significance of representing the U.S. He shared an emotional phone call with his 88-year-old grandfather, Bill, after being named to Team USA, expressing his happiness and gratitude. Nelson's scoring prowess is evident, with 12 goals and 18 points in 14 games last month. Despite a slow start to the year with the Avalanche, he's on track to surpass his career-high 40 goals. Nelson's role at the Olympics will be similar to his performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, where he skated on the fourth line with Vincent Trocheck, J.T. Miller, and Jack Hughes. With 13 forwards allowed, Nelson is prepared for any lineup changes, aiming to navigate the challenges of each game with an open mind and a clear intention of achieving his goals.
