Brock Nelson might be making his Olympics debut, but he carries a rich family history of playing hockey for Team USA. His grandfather was a forward on the team that won gold in 1960, and his uncle was a forward on the iconic “Miracle on Ice” team in 1980. On Thursday night, Nelson made a mark of his own by scoring two goals to lead the U.S. team.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Nelson, 34, often considered the veteran among a roster filled with some of the game’s brightest young stars. “It’s just an unbelievable experience. I’m trying to soak it all in.”

The Americans had to show resilience after two of their goals were wiped out in the first period due to successful challenges by the opposing team. It’s rare to see two such reversals in a single game, and exceedingly rare to have both occur in the same period.

“Yeah, that was frustrating,” said defenseman Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets. “But at the same time, you’re still getting the goals even though they got overturned. You’re doing the work to put the puck in the net, and I think that helps your confidence a little bit. After they get overturned, you’ve just got to put it out of your mind and continue to play the same way.”

Despite the setbacks, the U.S. team mounted a strong offensive barrage. “It was just 1-1 but there was never any panic,” said forward Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers. “From the second period on, we just wanted to make sure someone was at the net at all times. They were playing pretty tight, but with the skill, puck possession, and strength that we have, we knew we were going to win some battles.”

Nelson, who lightheartedly mentions taking ribbing from his younger teammates about his graying hair, reflects on his family’s Olympic legacy. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold at the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley (now Olympic Valley), and his uncle, Dave Christian, was on the championship team in Lake Placid.

“My brother came in today,” said Nelson, who was raised in Minneapolis. “He brought me a couple pins from back home, from ‘Hockeytown,’ and a couple letters from the youth team. They’ve always been supportive of me, going back to growing up there. I’m forever grateful for that.”

The current U.S. roster features notable NHL players including brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, as well as Quinn and Jack Hughes. It has been 12 years since NHL players last took the Olympic stage.

“To make this roster is extremely difficult when you look at the amount of talent that the United States has developed and can play at this level,” said coach Mike Sullivan, who also coaches the New York Rangers.

The atmosphere at the game was electric, with fans fairly evenly divided, every U-S-A chant met with one for Latvia.

“It was great to see the flags, the chants, and just the support that you have here,” said U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk, who was raised in a suburb of St. Louis and plays for the Ottawa Senators. “I’m just kind of a little example of the support you have back at home. So you’re playing in front of millions and millions of Americans, and you just want to represent them well. It’s always an honor to put this jersey on.”
https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2026-02-12/us-routs-latvia-in-olympic-hockey-opener