DENVER — Brock Nelson has silenced critics about his place on Team USA’s Olympic roster by letting his performance—and his stick—deliver the rebuttal.

The 34-year-old forward, a Minneapolis native, was named to the Olympic roster just one week ago. In the days since, he has delivered a stretch of production that borders on staggering—five goals and six assists for 11 points in just four games—leaving his critics gasping and wheezing in his wake.

This aged poorly. 

In Friday’s 8–2 rout of the Ottawa Senators, Nelson delivered a one-timer showcase, finishing with two goals and an assist. Both tallies came on blistering one-timer strikes from the right circle, each emblematic of a player operating at full confidence.

Credit: DNVR. Brock Nelson's post-game media availability.

ONE-TIMER FEAST

The first goal was set up by a sharp feed from Nathan MacKinnon, which Nelson snapped past Mats Sogaard inside the near post on the power play to extend the lead to 6–1. The goal stood as the third marker in a decisive second period, during which Colorado scored five times in a span of six minutes and 18 seconds.

Nelson capped the frame with its fifth goal, blasting another one-timer past Sogaard off a pass from Ilya Solovyov to make it an 8–1 game and punctuate a dominant stretch for the Avalanche.

Ultimately, the second period might as well have been billed as “The Massacre.” After surrendering three goals on the first 12 shots he faced, Senators head coach Travis Green pulled Leevi Meriläinen in favor of Mats Sogaard—a move that quickly backfired.

The change proved disastrous. Sogaard struggled mightily, forcing Green’s hand and prompting a return to Meriläinen, who didn’t allow another goal the rest of the way.

For Nelson, it was a performance that reflected the consistency of his season. Through 43 games, he has totaled 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points, solid production for a second-line center.

Nelson Could Set Career-High in Goals

At that rate, Nelson is on pace to set a career high in goals during the 2025–26 season, projecting to finish with 40 goals and 31 assists for 71 points. His previous career best came in 2021–22 with the New York Islanders, when he recorded 37 goals and 22 assists for 59 points in 72 games.

So much for the notion that Nelson didn’t deserve a spot on Team USA. The critics clearly haven’t fazed him. When asked about responding to those who questioned his Olympic selection, he took the high road, noting that not everyone is going to appreciate his style of play.

“Not everybody’s going to love my game, but fortunate to have the opportunity to go over there and represent my country and I’m honored to be a part of it,” Nelson stated. “The talent pool is extremely deep for America, so there’s probably a lot of guys who were right there that you could say they deserve a spot. So yeah, just playing my game.”

As Nelson noted, the talent pool in the U.S. is incredibly deep. There are plenty of skilled players on the Olympic roster, and just as many who didn’t make it but could make a strong case for inclusion.

Argument Crushed

But for those who argue that Nelson doesn’t deserve a spot because he’s not skilled enough or lacks the energy to keep up with the competition, it’s obvious that some of these critics either haven’t been watching him play—or are simply criticizing for no clear reason.

Now a third-generation Olympian, Nelson aims to help his family add a third Olympic gold to their storied legacy.

His roots in Olympic hockey run deep. His uncle, Dave Christian, won gold with the legendary 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team in Lake Placid. The family’s legacy extends even further: his grandfather, Bill Christian, and great-uncle, Roger Christian, helped the United States capture gold at the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley, while another relative, Gord Christian, earned a silver medal at the 1956 Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

And the Olympic critics aren’t the only ones who were silenced, you can also include fans and media members who were critical of the fact the Avalanche re-signed Nelson to a three-year, $22.5 million extension in the offseason and Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar made sure to land a subtle dig at Friday’s post-game press conference.

“I took a lot of heat when we signed him for his number around the league if I remember correctly,” Bednar said. “And now you see what guys are signing for to play that position that are, in my opinion, not as good as Brock. We have a lot of confidence in him as a player when he can provide.”

Gasping and Wheezing: Nelson’s Performance Silences Team USA Doubters