Nelson can add to family legacy with Team USA at Olympics

MILAN -- The package was waiting for Brock Nelson in the athletes' village. Arranged, he thinks, by his wife, it was filled with handwritten cards of support and good luck for the Team USA center from family members, including his grandfather and uncle.

Those two letters were extra special.

Bill Christian, Nelson's 88-year-old grandfather, was a forward on the United States team that won gold at the 1960 Winter Olympics in California.

Dave Christian, Nelson's 66-year-old uncle, was a forward for the "Miracle On Ice" group that won gold at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

The father and son were each part of the last two U.S. teams to win gold at the Olympics.

Nelson, a center for the Colorado Avalanche, has a chance to stand with them if the United States can get the job done at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Team USA plays its first game of the tournament against Team Latvia at Santagiulia Arena on Thursday (3:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, USA, CBC Gem, SN, CBC).

"Special for sure," Nelson said. "I had a couple letters from family members; grandfather, uncle, my wife, all my family members sent messages. But to have that connection with them and what they've accomplished before me, it means a lot for sure.

"Any time you get to represent the country it's an incredible honor, and to think about, obviously, at the Olympics, too, it's pretty special to have that chance. It gives me a lot of chills and goosebumps and emotions."

The 34-year-old's medal-winning lineage traces to 1956, when his great uncle, Gordon Christian, earned silver at the Olympics, which, ironically, were in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

His other great uncle, Roger Christian, played on the 1960 team.

"You know, it's incredible," Dave Christian told NHL.com. "It's surreal. Looking at the different scenarios and thinking about it, you go back to an uncle who played in '56 in Cortina and won a silver medal -- in some ways it's come full circle with the hockey in Milan and Cortina co-hosting.

"We're just so excited for Brock. … We're so excited for him to have his moment and enjoy and have the experience in his own way."

Nelson played for the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off one year ago. As soon as he made that team, he called his grandfather and emotions poured out on both sides of the line.

Nelson even started to get teary-eyed when he retold the details of that conversation in an interview with NHL.com in January 2025.

And as soon as he found out he made the Olympic team, Nelson placed a call to his grandfather, and again emotions poured out on both ends.

"Pretty similar conversation," Nelson said. "Special phone call. He's been my biggest fan and supporter from when I was just a little boy. I remember skating with him on the river back home and at the rink in Warroad (Minnesota). I had half days in kindergarten, and he would take me up there and we would skate, just kind of learning and loving the game. Really special.

"Never any pressure from him to be here; always supported me, youth hockey on, and even sends messages now. He watches all the games. A great role model for me."

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said he knows the family story but stressed that has nothing to do with Nelson making the Olympic team.

He's here because he has 29 goals this season, which ranks third among players on the U.S. roster. He's here because of his versatility; he can play center or wing, and on the power play and penalty kill.

"Brock Nelson has made both of these teams because he's a great player and he's deserving of it, and he's earned the opportunities he's gotten through his own performance and his body of work," Sullivan said. "The story, I think, is a great story and I think that just adds to Brock's legacy that he's built to this point.

"To have an opportunity to participate in these international events is an incredible privilege and a family lineage like Brock's just brings that to the forefront."

Nelson said his grandfather won't be able to make it to the Olympics because of the travel difficulties at his age. He'll instead be watching from home in Warroad.

Dave Christian is scheduled to arrive here Saturday and will stay through the gold medal game Feb. 22.

He will spend time with Brock, his wife Kayley, and their four kids, ages 7, 6, 4 and 3, who are all here, but he already has bestowed some words of wisdom on his nephew about the Olympic experience.

Christian wrote it in the letter that Nelson discovered in the athletes' village.

"It was just, 'Hey, we're with you. It's your time. This is your moment. We're cheering for you Brock and we're cheering for your teammates. Just go experience it. Stay in whatever moment and situation you're in. Just be in that moment,'" Christian said. "That's the advice."

In addition to the letters, there were some pictures in the package, and among them was an old shot of him as a 9- or 10-year-old wearing his uncle's gold medal.

Nelson vividly remembers that moment. It was around that time when the movie "Miracle" was released, and Nelson started to learn more about the family legacy at the Olympics.

Until then, they were just a grandpa and uncle to him.

"I'm fortunate to grow up in the area that I did and never really saw them as anything but just family members," Nelson said. "Once I saw the medals, then you see that's pretty special, and even more so it being a father and son on the only two teams that ever won it for the U.S. Pretty incredible for sure and it brings up a lot of emotions for sure.

"Now to be able to say that you have that same opportunity gives me chills."

Bill and Dave Christian share his emotions. They understand the road ahead of Nelson and Team USA, the challenge, the physical and emotional toll it takes to win a gold medal.

But if it happens, if the grandson and nephew carrying this incredible family legacy can find his way to the gold medal stand in Milan, well, you can only imagine.

Or maybe not.

"That would be a dream scenario, beyond what you could ever imagine," Dave Christian said. "We certainly would welcome the opportunity to say, 'Hey, Brock, welcome to the club.'

"Holy cow. Phenomenal."