In 106 years of hockey at the Olympics, the U.S. has only won gold twice. Current Olympian Brock Nelson had family members on both successful teams.
His grandfather, Bill Christian, and his great uncle, Roger Christian, were both members of the 1960 team, which captured the program’s first-ever gold medal. His uncle, Dave Christian, was on the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” squad before playing 1,009 games in the NHL.
“Lots of tears,” Nelson told Team USA’s content team of the phone call with his now-88-year-old grandfather. “I could hear him get choked up on the phone. It meant a lot just because he’s been such a great role model. I remember skating with him when I was young, back in Warroad (Minnesota). He’s still my biggest fan. Still watches me on a daily. He’s never put any pressure on me. And just, he supports me no matter what.”
Nelson’s family hockey connections don’t stop there. Another great uncle, Gord Christian, won silver at the 1956 Olympics, and Nelson’s wife, Karley Sylvester, has a U-18 gold medal in her collection.
Nelson has two bronze medals from past international events as well as nearly 1,000 NHL games, yet somehow his trophy case is the least impressive at the family reunion.
In the tournament opener on Thursday, Nelson tallied two of USA’s goals en route to a 5-1 victory over Latvia.
It’s his second time representing the United States on the highest platform. He played at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, taking second place in a nail-biter of a game against Canada. It goes without saying that Nelson and Team USA are hungry for a win this time around.
Nelson has 12 full NHL seasons under his belt, but at age 34, he’s currently on track for his best one yet. He leads the NHL in goals in the calendar year of 2026 and his Colorado Avalanche have been unstoppable all year long, as evidenced by their five-point lead over the next closest team atop the standings.
Even if he doesn’t win gold this year, he’ll have a legitimate chance to make up for it by winning the Stanley Cup — something none of his hockey-playing relatives ever accomplished. And who knows? Maybe one of his four children will keep the family tradition going.
