The Americans may have captured one of the most valuable victories not only because of Nelson's hockey abilities or his veteran leadership. After the USA's sensational victory in 1980, their victory over the Soviet Union was coined as "the miracle on ice."
But the miracle also seems to be the curious lineage of the Nelson family from the small town of Warroad, Minnesota.
When the US team has won the Olympics, someone from this family has always been there. Brothers Bill and Roger Christian won gold in 1960, and Dave Christian 20 years later at Lake Placid. Now? Nelson has succeeded his grandfather, great-uncle, and uncle.
"It's going to be touching when I call my grandfather," Nelson recounted Sunday shortly after he won Olympic gold in a tense final against Canada. "I'm sure I've already gotten a message from him. It means a lot to me," he told reporters of his relationship with the 88-year-old man who taught him how to skate.
"This was the X factor. Without Brock and his pedigree, we definitely wouldn't have won that final," said Charlie McAvoy, as he finally realized the history his teammate's family had written.
When the Americans broke Canada in overtime, Nelson's uncle, Dave, was in the stands at Milan's Santa Giulia Hall and couldn't believe his eyes. Nelson, of course, headed for those who had flown in to cheer him on. And he just beamed at them with passion and celebration, "We did it."
Then he admitted to reporters that he couldn't believe the historical context. "It's crazy that it's 46 years to the day today since my uncle and his teammates beat the Russians in Lake Placid," he mused.
The warpath
Warroad is a town that has had an incredible impact on the success of the U.S. hockey team, with just under 2,000 people still living there.
Yet it's a place with a very colourful history. Less than 200 years ago, it was home to the Assiniboine Indian tribe, which held territory all the way to the fabled Red River and fought eternal battles with the Sioux over territory. After the Indian wars, the settlement on the shores of Lake of the Woods became an important fishing village.
And finally, in the 20th century, Warroad became known as a major hockey school and the birthplace of fabulous champions.
Behind it all is the Christian family clan, who fell for the winter specialty and set up things like a hockey stick company on the northern border of Minnesota, just a few miles from the Canadian border.
These were made in Warroad until 2009, and of course, Nelson had one of the children's hockey sticks when he took his first steps on the ice. But beware, T.J. Oshie came from Warroad, too. Oshie, an American with Native American roots, became the first native to bring the Stanley Cup to the rink.
Grandfather's glory
But back to the beginning.
When Coach Jim Riley was assembling the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympic team, he could hardly pick players from the then still six-man NHL. There weren't even 10 Americans on the roster. Talent was sought in various minor leagues. But a team full of unknown names did very well at home.
It managed to beat the then world powers Canada, Czechoslovakia, and Sweden, and the key game against Russia in front of 10,000 spectators at the Blyth Arena was solved by two brothers, Billy and Roger Christian.
"Billy was only 175 centimetres tall and weighed 68 kilos, but he outsmarted goalkeeper Puchkov! The Russian goalie tried to cut the angle of his shot, but Christian got around him and slid the puck into the net," says the Chronicle of American Hockey in its biography of Coach Riley.
Roger Christian was then the top scorer with eight goals, and Billy Christian, grandfather of today's hero Nelson, was the top passer for the golden team with 11 assists. It was then the first Olympic and sensational hockey triumph for the USA. And goalie Jack McCartan then got a job with the New York Rangers.
From that moment on, the Soviet Union took over the Olympic tournament. The Red Machine rolled over everyone and took gold in 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976. Then the Olympics returned to America. In 1980, the games were held in Lake Placid, and the tale of determined, nameless students got a second installment.
Once again, Minnesota talent
The honor of leading the Olympic team went to Herb Brooks, the coach of the University of Minnesota team. And when he assembled the team, he again chose the same strategy as his predecessor, Riley. The only one who had a taste of the league was goalie Jim Craig.
But the bet on the best guys from the NCAA and a couple of guys from the lower AHL paid off. One of the chosen ones was none other than Dave Christian, then a University of North Dakota mainstay who grew up in Minnesota.
In a fabulous tournament that subsequently became the basis for the hit movie "Miracle", Nelson's uncle shone. He didn't score a single goal, but he did record eight assists.
Dave was signed by the Winnipeg Jets immediately after the gold at the 1980 Olympics, where he was given the captain patch in the following years, and played an impressive 1,009 games in the NHL over 15 seasons.
Call home
Nelson is a veteran now, but at 34 years old, he is considered a reliable fighter.
His career has been mostly associated with the New York Islanders until the last two seasons, playing for the Colorado Avalanche. But he was an obvious choice for coach Mike Sullivan when he was drafting the team for last year's 4 Nations Face-Off. And he was trusted for the tournament in Milan.
"I heard a lot of tears. I could feel him choking up on the phone," Nelson said of the moment he learned he was going to the Olympics and told his grandfather about it. "You know, I had to call him; it meant a lot to me. He's always been a role model for me. I remember him teaching me how to skate at Warroad when I was a kid. And he's still my biggest fan, he watches me every day. He never put any pressure on me, but he just supports me no matter what."
And Lake Placid hero Dave Christian, now 66, added: "If they had won, it would have been a dream scenario. Something we can't even imagine. And I'm sure we could say to him, 'Hey, Brock, welcome to the club!'"
More gold for the U.S. in 2042?
A couple of weeks later, the story unfolded. Nelson was an important part of the U.S. team that won Olympic gold for the third time in history.
"Grandpa sure is proud! It'll be strange but nice when I get a chance to call him. I know he'll be happy about it, and I'll finally get to stop by. It's crazy to be here now and to share it with him at the same time. I know he's home watching. And my uncle is here, and he's so touched," he recounted with tears in his eyes.
Nelson, of course, plans to bring the gold medal home to Warroad and place it next to the other three gold medals in the family. "I hope to get together, give him a hug, take a nice picture, and retell all the stories we have." For the record, another member of the family clan also brought home a medal from the Olympics, the now-deceased great-uncle of Gordy Christian, who won silver in Cortina in 1956.
America has a chance to win another Olympic hockey gold in four years, but Nelson admits it's more likely he won't be around.
"I'm not naive, I feel I'm getting older. I've been given this maybe once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'll be forever grateful for it. You never know how long you're going to play," he admitted in an interview with NHL.com.
But there may be hope for his now seven-year-old oldest son, Beckett, who has lived through his dad's successes and failures. "When we lost to Canada in the 4 Nations Tournament, he was devastated. So I'm looking forward to seeing him after that parade," smiled the father of four.
So who knows what the U.S. team will look like at the 2038 or 2042 Olympics? By then, Beckett will be an adult, and maybe he'll be following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, great-uncles, and dad...
