Meghan Lange | The Observer On Jan. 5, as Notre Dame hockey prepared for a home series with Wisconsin, one of the team’s own took the ice before almost 1.5 million viewers across the pond. Freshman forward Danny Nelson, alongside his 24 American teammates, battled host nation Sweden in the final game of the World Junior Championships.
Hours before the Irish donned their classic gold helmets, Nelson captured an unforgettable gold medal.
“I think it was kind of surreal,” he said of the experience. “Any opportunity that I get to put on the USA jersey is pretty special, and I never want to take it for granted, so I was pretty lucky and blessed to be able to wear it over there. And then obviously bringing home the gold made it even more special.”
After attending selection camp in nearby Plymouth, Michigan, Nelson made the 25-player roster and traveled to Gothenburg, Sweden, for the 11-day competition. There, he played in all 7 games, helping Team USA to an unbeaten run for a sixth championship. In a 7-2 quarterfinal win against Latvia, Nelson scored the game-winning goal, deflecting a shot from the University of Michigan’s Seamus Casey.
Three days later, Nelson would become the third current Notre Dame player to bring home World Juniors gold. His experience winning it all at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship helped him, as did his teammates. Graduate student Patrick Moynihan and senior Landon Slaggert, both of whom shared a line with Nelson for all of November, acquired gold at the World Juniors for Team USA in 2021
“It was good to hear from the guys that had been over there and had that experience,” Nelson said. “They were able to guide me a little bit and tell me to go put my best foot forward, try my best to make that team and go represent the Irish over there.”
Any player who competes at the World Juniors shares the ice with some of the best sub-professional prospects around. Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini, the projected top pick in the 2024 NHL draft, competed for Canada. On the American side, Nelson skated with Jimmy Snuggerud (Minnesota) and Quinn Finley (Wisconsin), two top-80 NHL picks. Snuggerud leads the Big Ten in goals, while Finley, like Nelson, is a New York Islanders prospect.
The player Nelson found most interesting had already gone head-to-head with him as a Boston College forward. He’s also the highest NHL draft pick still playing college hockey.
“One of the guys I learned a lot from was Will Smith — just the way he carries himself,” Nelson said. “And then also his play on the ice. I like how smart he is out there and the vision that he has. It was pretty cool to watch.”
Of course, Nelson is developing a professional pedigree as well. Last summer, the Islanders selected him 49th overall in the second round of the NHL draft. Anders Lee, the former Irish captain currently in his sixth season wearing the “C” on Long Island, gave him a call on draft night.
“Getting to see him at pro camp was fun,” Nelson said of Lee. “Being able to skate and compete against him was pretty cool and pretty special. Hopefully, in the future, he’ll be a role model for me and a guy I can look up to.”
Like Lee, Nelson hails from the Twin Cities area. It’s a spot that Jeff Jackson and the Notre Dame coaching staff have recruited well in recent years. Eight current Irish players come from southeast Minnesota, with forwards Trevor and Justin Janicke having also played at Nelson’s high school, Maple Grove.
Much like the Janickes or Slaggerts, hockey is a family affair for the Nelsons. Danny’s father played the sport through high school, later pushing Danny’s brother, Henry, to play. The younger brother by four months, Danny followed Henry’s lead and tried out hockey. Many years later, he did the same with a commitment to Notre Dame.
“I just wanted to go somewhere where I felt like I would fit in and a place that I’d be comfortable,” Nelson said about his decision. “Being able to step in and feel like I had a chance to make an impact, that was one of the biggest things I was looking at when I wanted to come here.”
While Danny typically centers one of Notre Dame’s top two forward lines, Henry — also a freshman — plays on defense. Danny also happens to have experience playing on defense dating back to his high school days. Because of team needs, he spent a season on the blue line, learning information he still employs at center.
“I think it just helped me see the ice from a different side and see it from back there, which I feel like helps me playing center,” Nelson said. “Just being low in the zone and knowing where to go. And then [it] helps me in the o-zone as well when I’m around the net, so I know where to go, where those guys are shooting too — that kind of thing.”
Even some of the most decorated rookies sometimes struggle to turn preparation into collegiate production. But that hasn’t been an issue for Nelson. He ranks second on the Irish with 15 points, leading all Notre Dame forwards with 11 assists. Not to mention Nelson’s prowess at the faceoff dot, where he ranks 11th nationally with 242 successful draws, winning faceoffs at an elite 58.5% clip.
“[Danny Nelson’s] a factor offensively, but he’s also a big factor on faceoffs,” Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said. “He’s our best faceoff guy [and] one of the best in the country, and he’s also a factor on special teams because he plays both the penalty kill and the power play.”
Nelson’s versatility should continue to add plenty of intrigue to his NHL profile. As will his 6-foot-2, 212-pound frame and puck-protecting skills, which heavily contribute to his comparisons to Brock Nelson of the Islanders and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.
But for the 18-year-old Nelson, the focus remains on the present. That includes adjusting and thriving with a new pair of linemates, graduate student Trevor Janicke and fellow freshman NHL draft pick Brennan Ali. Nelson already scored an impressive tying goal in his return last Friday at Ohio State, and he hopes for continued success on Notre Dame’s heaviest forward line.
“I think we can do a lot, especially create a lot in the o-zone when we have control of the puck,” Nelson said. “I think our cycle game is really good, and when we hunt pucks together I think we can have a lot of success, those guys being two really good power forwards that can hunt the puck really well. And so when those guys hunt the puck, I’m just gonna have to be open and be ready for the puck.”
Also ready for a postseason push, Nelson identified consistency as the key to Notre Dame’s success down the stretch. He and the Irish will go after it in this weekend’s series against Penn State.
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