On the ice, Brock Nelson is a consummate professional devoted to mastering his craft; off the ice, he’s an unassuming, grounded presence who approaches every situation with genuine heart and compassion.
We got a taste of that Saturday morning at practice at Family Sports Center as he prepares to take on the New York Islanders for the first time since being traded to Colorado in March in exchange for defenseman Oliver Kylington, forward prospect Calum Ritchie, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and a conditional third-round pick in 2028. He subsequently signed a three-year, $22.5 million extension with the Avalanche in June.
“There’s a lot of guys that I haven’t seen since the trade happened,” Nelson said. “It will be nice to hang out with them today. It’ll be a little bit different playing against them. These are guys that…I’m familiar with their routine and stuff for over a decade.”
After spending parts of 13 seasons with a single organization, only to have it all change in a single transaction, The Hockey News asked Nelson how difficult it was to process being traded, particularly after likely envisioning a career spent entirely with one team.
“It took a bit for sure, I mean I still keep tabs on all the guys,” Nelson admitted. “I still wish them the best. Obviously maybe not for tomorrow.”
Nelson said he didn’t exactly lose sleep over the trade, but he thought a lot about the relationships he had made along the way with everyone connected to the Islanders organization.
Nelson said he didn’t exactly lose sleep over the trade, but he did find himself reflecting on the relationships he had built over the years with everyone connected to the Islanders organization.
“I’ve known the ins and outs from everything to staff, player personnel, and the whole team. I had to re-integrate a bit, it took a little bit of time, but it’s just day-by-day now.”
We also discussed Nelson’s decision to remain with the Avalanche. The second-line center signed a three-year extension with Colorado on June 4, carrying an average annual value of $7.5 million. Nelson noted that Zach Parise—who spent two seasons with the Islanders before finishing his career in Colorado and retiring after the 2024 season—played a meaningful role in his choice to stay with the Avalanche.
Although Nelson acknowledged that he had conversations with Parise, he also said there was concern fueled by media reports.
“I talked to him a little bit,” he revealed. “There was a lot of reports that said I wasn’t coming back here. I think people were kinda speculating. It wasn’t true.
“I got to know (Parise) pretty well on the Islanders; we played with him for a few years. I saw his family quite a bunch this summer and got to talk to him about his time here and his experience here, and get a little taste of it as well. He definitely helped. At the end of the day, this is a great spot to be with a chance to win (the Stanley Cup) for a number of years, and I want to be part of that.”
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