Across the dirt road behind his elementary school, Brock Nelson went to hockey heaven on the daily.
Growing up in Warroad, Minnesota, the majority of the Avalanche center’s free time was spent at his family’s hockey stick factory right next to his school.
The company, Christian Brothers Hockey Sticks, was founded by his grandfather and great-uncle, 1960 Olympic hockey stars Bill and Roger Christian. Nelson’s olfactory memory of the factory, and all the recollections of his time there, remain vivid.
“The smell of it was probably one of my favorites,” Nelson recalled. “I also remember stealing quarters out of my grandpa’s desk drawer, then going to the vending machine and grabbing some candy. Taking some sticks and curving them on my own and making a couple of illegal curves just to see how high my friends and I could shoot it.
“As kids, we were doing some crazy things there. You usually had 6.30 a.m. practice, were off to school, then checked out the factory later. I was always surrounded by hockey wherever I went.”
DENVER , CO - DECEMBER 29: Brock Nelson (11) of the Colorado Avalanche stands on the ice during the third period of the Avs’ 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Now 34, the little kid who used to run wild around the hockey stick factory is continuing his family’s Olympic tradition. Nelson is playing for Team USA in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, where he’ll be a third-generation American Olympian in the sport.
In addition to Bill and Roger, Nelson’s uncle Dave Christian was a member of the Americans’ 1980 gold medal team. So his family played central roles in the height of American hockey at the Winter Olympics, considering the 1960 and 1980 teams are the only U.S. squads to win gold.
In 1960, Roger scored a hat trick in the Americans’ opening win over Sweden. Then, in the semifinals against the Soviets, Roger emerged as the hero. The U.S. was down 2-1, but Roger scored in the second period to tie the game and then again in the third period to pull off the 3-2 upset. The U.S. went on to rout the Czechs in the final, 9-4.
In 1980, when the Americans pulled off the “Miracle on Ice” that was later made into two movies, Dave led Team USA with eight assists during the tournament. The forward ended up playing 15 seasons in the NHL from 1979 to 1994.
Growing up, Nelson’s view of his family’s Olympic feats — his great uncle Gord Christian also appeared in the Winter Games, winning a silver medal with the 1956 U.S. team — evolved.
At first, the medals were a cool, shiny novelty. Later came the respect and the awe.
“I remember seeing my grandpa’s medal at his house. I think I maybe brought it to a show-and-tell (at school), and same thing for my uncle’s medal,” Nelson said. “I took a picture of my uncle’s medal when I was a squirt, put it in my room. I always thought it was really cool, but didn’t really understand the importance of it.
“And then obviously the ‘Miracle’ movie comes out (by Disney in 2004), and I feel like that brings a new light to it, and as I got older and started to understand and appreciate the game more, my appreciation (for their feats grew).”
Nelson believes this year’s U.S. roster — headlined by center Auston Matthews, defenseman Quinn Hughes and also featuring a Colorado player in Erie native Jaccob Slavin — has the potential to match the feats of the ’60 and ’80 teams.
The tournament, which is the first to feature NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Games, begins on Feb. 11. The U.S. is in Group C with Germany, Latvia and Denmark. The Americans open against Latvia on Feb. 12, and the gold medal game is Feb. 22.
Canada is the betting favorite, and will feature three Avs players in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews. The U.S. hasn’t medaled at the Winter Olympics since taking silver at the Vancouver Games in 2010, when Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in OT in a 3-2 Canada victory.
Nelson hopes the tournament is part one of his two-act championship plan in 2026. In addition to Nelson and the trio of Canadians, the Avs’ Gabriel Landeskog (Sweden), Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta (Finland), and Martin Nečas (Czechia) are also on Olympic rosters.
“I’d like to have both (a Stanley Cup win and a gold medal),” Nelson said. “(In Italy), it’s time to put the friendships on pause because everyone’s going to want to go over there and try to win a medal and have the bragging rights to come back over here.”
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