Nelson Growing and Thriving at Notre Dame, Looks Ahead to Isles Development Camp Before Junior Season

Danny Nelson remembers the long car ride with his family to Nashville, Tennessee for the NHL Draft two years ago, feeling excited for what’s ahead knowing he gave his best leading up to that pivotal moment in his career.

“Driving down it was an excited, fun feeling, not necessarily a nervous feeling because at that point it’s already out of your control,” Nelson said. “We got down there, enjoyed time with family and I was able to take it all in and not worry about what’s going to happen. I was used to watching the draft every year, but to go actually through it and experience it was surreal.”

As a kid, the Maple Grove, Minnesota native looked up to former Islander Zach Parise, who called him on the phone after he was selected 49^th overall by the New York Islanders in 2023. The interaction stands out as full circle moment when Nelson reflects on his draft day.

“When I was really young, I loved watching Zach Parise on the Wild,” Nelson said. “He was number 11, that’s why I’ve started wearing number 11. He was an Islander at the time, and I got to talk to him on the phone after I was drafted.”

Nelson has accomplished a lot in the two years since his draft day. The 19-year-old center put up a career-high 13 goals and 26 points in his sophomore campaign for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, as he ranked second on the team in goals and fourth in scoring. His sophomore campaign also included a trip to the 2025 World Junior tournament where he earned his second consecutive gold medal with Team USA, contributing four goals and six points.

Although Nelson and Notre Dame finished the season with a record of 12-25-1 overall, they made a bit of a run in the Big Ten quarterfinals, beating the Minnesota Gophers in the best-of-three quarterfinal series.

“It was a fun season, we went on a little run there at the end but didn’t quite get to the Big Ten championship like we were hoping to,” Nelson said. “But we definitely found something within our team and it was still a good end to the season.”

Nelson has been developing his two-way game, both at even strength and on special teams. He’s played on the penalty kill and on the power play in both NCAA seasons, but this year he played new positions on the man advantage and put up four power play goals, which was third best on the Fighting Irish.

The center has become quite the faceoff specialist. Nelson’s .572 face-off win percentage led the team and his 471 wins in the dot, ranked fifth nationally and first in the Big Ten.

“I definitely put a big emphasis on faceoffs, I want to play with the puck,” Nelson said. “It all starts with faceoffs, so it’s important in a team game. For me I’m getting 10-20 reps in after every practice, it’s a constant thing we keep working on.”

The 19-year-old center enjoys the competitiveness of the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA schedule, making the decision to play his junior year and continue his development at Notre Dame. The team made a coaching change in March, naming Brock Sheahan the new head coach, which Nelson describes as a new era of Irish hockey that he’s excited for in the fall.

Danny isn’t the only Nelson on the Fighting Irish squad. His older brother Henry is his teammate for the first time, having never played together before they got to college.

“It’s fun to be here with [Henry] because I’ve seen him a lot at home but never really saw him in a locker room besides these last couple of years,” Nelson said. “It’s been fun to get to know him as a teammate as well. It’s special.”

Their parents, Barb and Victor Nelson regularly made the drive from Minnesota to Indiana to watch their sons play home games at Notre Dame. They were in attendance when Henry scored on a primary assist from Danny, getting the scoring started in a 3-2 OT win over Wisconsin on Nov. 1.

“It’s definitely a trek but my parents are unbelievable,” Nelson said. “They were at the game where we connected on a goal, so it was fun for them to be able to see that one and see it come together. Seeing them here almost every weekend, their support is unbelievable, even when they’re not here they’re streaming every game.”

Nelson’s 16-year-old brother Sammy takes after his older brothers and also plays hockey. He’s coming off a season in the USNTDP Juniors and following in his brothers’ footsteps, committed to playing at Notre Dame for the 2027-28 season. Growing up, the three siblings had a competitiveness that went beyond just hockey.

“It always a very competitive household no matter what we were doing, whether it was competing to get the last chicken tender or something like that,” Nelson said. “Growing up just shooting pucks in the garage together, it was always something competed against each other so it’s awesome to have their support, and I support them in everything they do and cheer for them.”

After Nelson’s sophomore season ended, he had the chance to come home to enjoy the Minnesota summer for a few weeks, spending time with family and playing golf with friends before he returned to campus to train and take a couple of summer classes.

Islanders development camp is on the horizon right after the 2025 NHL Draft, where he’ll get the chance to visit Long Island for the first time, play with other prospects in the system and further familiarize himself with the organization that drafted him nearly two years ago.

“Getting to know everyone right after getting drafted, it was really apparent that there’s a lot of great people in the organization,” Nelson said. “I’m excited to get to Long Island to work with the development staff in person with other prospects and get out on the ice, learn as much as I can and take in Long Island.”