It’s as if Brock Nelson winning a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games on Sunday fulfilled a familiar rite of passage.
With Team USA’s 2-1 overtime win against Team Canada in the gold medal game at Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Nelson became the fourth member of his family to win a gold medal for Team USA’s men’s ice hockey team at The Winter Olympics.
His uncle, Dave Christian, who was in attendance in Milan, played on the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team and his grandfather, Bill Christian, and great uncle, Roger Christian, were members of the 1960 squad.
Nelson said it’s super special to be able to say he is now a third-generation gold medalist.
“[They were] great role models and mentors for me,” Nelson said. “And they mean the world to me, and have been supporters of me for forever, from young age [and from] day one back in Warroad (Minnesota). So to be there and kind of put it full circle and join them in that regard, is just unbelievable. It gives me the chills still to share it.”
After winning gold, Nelson said his first call was an emotional one with his grandfather.
“It's hard to describe to you what he means to me,” Nelson said. “Just as a grandfather, mentor [and] role model. Like I said back when I was younger, he would take me skating, just learning to love the game and play. And to kind of share with him, [it was] super fun. And I know it's gonna even be more fun when I get to see him in person, too, and kind of really embrace him and share the medal in the stories.”
For Nelson, this one-in-a-lifetime experience at The Winter Olympics was a dream come true.
"You never know if you’re gonna get a chance to represent your country at the Olympics and [have] the highest honor," Nelson said.
The Avalanche center said he tried enjoying every bit of his experience at Milano Cortina 2026, which included attending Team USA’s women’s hockey team’s 5-0 win against Team Canada in the preliminary round with his wife and children. His wife Karley played at the University of Wisconsin for four years and was teammates with Team USA captain Hilary Knight as well as Team Canada players Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull and Ann-Renee Desbiens.
Another part of The Winter Olympics experience that Nelson embraced was the pin trading with athletes from other countries, adding that even his children were involved.
Nelson played a key role for Team USA, especially on its penalty kill that went 17/17 throughout the tournament and killed off a 1:28-five-on-three in the second period against Team Canada. Additionally, later in the game, Nelson made a diving defensive-zone clearing play with less than 90 seconds in regulation to kill off the final seconds of Team Canada’s power-play.
The Avalanche center also won 59.09% of his face-offs throughout the tournament, which was the ninth-best mark among skaters. He also posted three points (2g/1a), with two goals in Team USA’s tournament-opening win against Team Latvia, including the game-winning tally.
After Jack Hughes scored the golden goal, Nelson said there was pandemonium getting on to the ice and that he’ll never forget how he felt in that moment.
“Seeing the family after that up in the stands,” Nelson said. The emotions, the joy, tears [and] everything. It was just an unbelievable few minutes that I feel like time wasn't a thing, and you're just kind of in the moment. And it's unbelievable.”
By bringing home a gold medal, Nelson not only continued his family’s legacy, but cemented himself as a United States hockey hero forever.
