Colorado Avalanche star Brock Nelson fulfilled a family legacy by winning gold with Team USA on Sunday. The epic 2-1 win was as close as you could get to a miracle without it actually being one.
The difference between the 2026 and 1980 teams is that this iteration wasn’t a scrappy bunch of college kids. This was a star-studded team filled with stars whose reputations preceded them.
And for the 34-year-old Nelson, it was a full-circle moment. Olympic gold runs in his family. Just being a third-generation Olympian is enough to hang his hat on. But winning gold, that truly made this victory all the more special for Nelson.
Nelson’s father and great-uncle were members of the 1960 team that won gold. Nelson’s uncle, former NHLer Dave Christian, also took home gold as part of the Miracle on Ice team from 1980. 46 years later, Nelson added one more medal to the family collection.
It wasn’t that Nelson was a sentimental pick to make the team. He was a legit pick to make the team. Only a stacked team like the United States could have Brock Nelson as a fourth-line center. But such was the talent level Team USA unfurled at Milano-Cortina.
With the family legacy extended for another generation, the only thing left for Nelson to complete his resume is a Stanley Cup championship. Fortunately, Nelson just happens to play for the best team in the NHL this season.
Winning a Stanley Cup in 2026 would be the culmination of a dream year. Along the way, a Stanley Cup would not be a bad consolation prize for the three other Avalanche players who faced defeat on Sunday.
While an Olympic silver medal is hardly a defeat, winning a Stanley Cup could take the sting out of missing out on a gold medal.
Avalanche fans will have to wait till the spring to see the Avalanche back in the postseason, competing for a Cup. In the meantime, Brock Nelson’s family legacy is something that will be an inextricable part of the Colorado Avalanche.