Fischler on Tonelli Becoming an Islander There's no doubt that New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/news/new-york-islanders-philadelphia-flyers-preseason-ubs-arena] forward Brock Nelson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/brock-nelson-new-york-islanders-2023-24] would blush at the thought of it, but that's okay. There's a majestic quality about the man. Majestic. Period. The first player I ever heard associated with the term majestic was Hall of Fame Montreal Canadiens center Jean Beliveau, who won a mere ten Stanley Cups. "He was a big guy and a talented guy," said ex-Isander Glenn (Chico) Resch, who doubles as an amateur historian. "And he had a very royal way of carrying himself but 'royal' in the best of ways." Height helps. Beliveau was 6-2, 200 pounds, Nelson is 6-3, 205 pounds. Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle, who starred for the Rangers and then Boston Bruins, was another who had that look; not to mention Hall of Fame Islander Clark Gillies. Resch: "It wasn't that Clarkie was just big that gave him the look of a king. It was his whole persona; not to mention the fact that he was such a great guy." The same holds for Nelson. I remember the time when Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the Isles home. My younger son, Simon, brought his brood of two girls -- Odel and Avigail -- and a boy, Ariel, to Barclays. The kids, who grew up in Israel, were awed by the surroundings but never more so than when the very large fellow named Nelson noticed them as he strode toward the dressing room. "Just like that, Brock stopped and chatted a bit with the kids and then went on his way to get ready for the game," Simon remembered. "It made a big impression on all of us. Still does because it was such a simple -- yet so nice and unexpected -- gesture." Picked 30th overall by the Islanders in the 2010 Entry Draft, Nelson has been a lifetime Islander since making his debut in the 2012-13 playoffs. Last season he reached a career high point total of 75 on 36 goals and 39 assists. and went 2-3-5 in six playoff games. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxMDk4OTA1NTgzMTAxNjIx/usatsi_20425501.jpg] Rapid Rosner asked Islanders head coach Lane Lambert on Wednesday what makes Nelson such a special player. "He's got an abundance of talent. He hones his craft, cares about his craft, and he works at it," Lambert said. "We talked last year a lot about what makes Brock effective. It's when he's skating, and when he is skating, he's a very dangerous player. I mean, he can shoot the puck, and skates well, so that's what he has to continue to do." Speaking of majesty, it comes naturally via family genes. Just get a load of this: Nelson's uncle Dave Christian was on the 1980 U.S. Gold Medal team and played more than 1,000 NHL games. His grandfather, Bill Christian, and great-uncle Roger Christian were both on Uncle Sam's 1960 gold medal team at Squaw Valley. That's not all. Another great uncle, Gordon Christian, played for America at the 1956 Winter Olympics and took home a silver medal. And if you think there's something special about the manner in which Brock skates, let's not forget that his Mom was a figure skater. The Maven calls that skating style majestic!
