Nelson emerging as player to watch for World Juniors, NHL Draft

WINDSOR, Ontario -- As the youngest of three brothers, Sammy Nelson learned early how to survive traffic, absorb contact and fight for space, even before those lessons had anything to do with hockey.

There were garage games with little space and plenty of angst, knee-hockey battles downstairs and, as Nelson tells it, "a lot of fights." Danny and Henry Nelson were older, stronger and usually right there in his way. 

The hardest part of being the youngest was obvious.

"They were always beating up on me," Sammy said with a grin.

"Henry and I definitely didn't take it easy on him growing up, especially in the battles we had in the basement playing knee hockey," Danny Nelson said. 

The best part might be the reason Sammy Nelson has become one of the more intriguing names for the 2027 NHL Draft.

"Just having them there by my side," he said. "They've been through it, so they can help me out if I need anything to get through school or hockey, or whatever it is. I just lean on them with questions."

That support system is about to become even closer.

Nelson (6-foot-2, 193 pounds) accelerated his path through USA Hockey's National Team Development Program and will enter the University of Notre Dame this fall, giving him the chance to share a college locker room with Danny and Henry.

Danny, selected by the New York Islanders in the second round (No. 49) of the 2023 NHL Draft, was Notre Dame's captain as a junior last season. Henry is a rising senior in the program.

"I definitely think Sammy is a mix of both me and Henry, from the way that he plays to how he is off the ice," Danny said.

For Sammy, a right-shot center who missed being eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft by four days with a Sept. 19, 2008, birthday, the move is both a family story and a scouting story. He is not simply following his brothers to Notre Dame. He's entering his draft year trying to show NHL teams he can become his own player while standing beside two people who helped shape him.

"At the national team, I did three years in two, so I could play with my brothers for potentially one year, and they both stayed," Sammy said. "I think that would be an awesome experience for me going to college this year."

It's a big season for Nelson after finishing second on the NTDP U-18 team with 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) and five game-winning goals in 58 games. He received an A rating on NHL Central Scouting's Preliminary Players to Watch list for the 2027 draft.

He's attending the World Junior Summer Showcase this week with an opportunity to establish himself as a candidate to play for the United States at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. Making the roster would put him on one of the sport's biggest stages for his age group, with NHL decision-makers watching closely and national pride attached to every shift.

His combination of size, skating, shot, compete, and center-ice habits have made him one of the more intriguing options among draft-eligible players at the Showcase.

Wyatt Cullen (Nashville Predators), a forward also looking to earn a roster spot with the U.S. National Junior Team, said Nelson's skill can sometimes get lost behind the frame and the pace.

"I think he's such a good player," Cullen said. "He's big, so fast, an unbelievable 200-foot centerman. I think his skill gets overlooked a little bit, but he has a lot of skill, and his hands are good. Hopefully he has a good year at Notre Dame. I'm hoping for the best for him for sure."

Nelson believes his offensive element is still underappreciated.

"I think my offensive ability to score is a little bit underrated," he said. "I like to shoot the puck. I just got to hit the net and put the puck in the net."

That directness is part of what has pushed him up the radar. Nelson describes himself as "a fast, hardworking, 200-foot center, reliable in the D-zone, and can create offense." He said he's more comfortable at center because he likes the freedom, the responsibility of face-offs and the importance of the role.

Consistency is the word that keeps coming back, whether he's talking about Notre Dame, the Summer Showcase or what NHL teams should know about him beyond the score sheet.

"I'm just working on my consistency right now and I think that'll come out this year," he said. "Just working with my coaches at Notre Dame and working to be better every shift."

That lesson has already been reinforced by Danny.

"(Danny tells me) to be detailed in every shift; consistency is key at the college level because guys are so good," Sammy said. "If you mess up, it's going to be in the back of your net."

Sammy said his U-18 season helped prepare him for the jump to college, giving him the confidence that he could handle pace and strength of the NCAA. He had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 18 games against college competition last season.

"I felt competitive out there against college competition and felt ready to make the jump," he said.

United States coach Adam Nightingale said Nelson has the type of game that can fit a winning international lineup.

"I remember when playing against the Program (as coach at Michigan State), and you notice him," Nightingale said. "He's a big body. He can skate, play physical, and I think he wants to do it on both sides of the puck. When we're trying to put this team together, we need guys that value both sides of the puck up and down the lineup."

Nightingale said roster choices will be difficult, but Nelson is "definitely a player that I think helps you win hockey games."

That's Nelson's next challenge: Turn notice into trust.

"Just building the consistency every game, every shift," he said. "Just working toward the next game and getting better each game."

It's the same approach Nelson brings from golf, where a bad shot cannot ruin the next one, and the same mindset he'll carry to Notre Dame, where the locker room will feel both new and deeply familiar.

"It will be very special to have all three of us together at Notre Dame in the fall," Danny said. "I'm looking forward to all the memories we're going to make together on and off the ice."

Sharing it with Danny and Henry will be special, but Sammy knows creating his own identity is essential.

"I want to go out there, be myself," he said. "Don't fall in anyone else's footsteps. Just play my own game."