Show of hands if your wife has looked at you the way Nathan MacKinnon looked at that stuffed stoat.
Heck, yeah, Brock Nelson put family first this week.
And good for him. The Avalanche center’s got four young, adorable kids at home, all under 8 years old. Daddy’s spent the last three weeks in the Alps, grinding through Olympic mode. He deserves a day off to be with the people he loves.
Here’s what he doesn’t deserve: Becoming a political pawn that conveniently fits your worldview.
Nelson avoided President Donald Trump’s company on Tuesday, one of five members of USA Hockey’s gold-medal-winning men’s roster to do so. The Avs’ veteran forward took a pass on a visit to the White House and no-thanks to a seat during the State of the Union address. Social media reacted with its usual grace and thoughtful, nonpartisan restraint.
The Avs told The Post’s Corey Masisak that it was a family decision. Again: Three weeks abroad. Four young kids. Can’t we leave it at that? Shouldn’t we leave it at that?
Nelson’s got a family to feed. And a job to do. There’s nothing in the contract about having to sit through an hour and 48 minutes of a Tuesday night speech in Washington when you’ve got a Wednesday morning skate in Salt Lake City.
Buckle up, Captain America. Let’s freaking go. The Avs (37-9-9) open a compacted second half of the NHL slate late Wednesday in Utah, then host the Minnesota Wild the very next night. Colorado plays 10 games over the next 18 days. Six of those 10 are on the road.
The march to the Stanley Cup is officially underway. If Nelson wants to recharge his battery at home and not glad-hand with politicians in D.C., that’s his prerogative.
“It will present a little bit of a challenge for us, not having gone through some things as a team,” coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday before the team flew out to Utah. “I think we did everything we can do to get our guys that were here ready. And they looked really good again (Tuesday). And I think their attitudes are right. I think the guys coming from the Olympics are sharp and ready to go. They’ve just been playing some of the most intense hockey that they’ve ever played, so that we should be able to piece it together here for (Wednesday) night.”
The Avs are going for it, kids. As well they should. Colorado just flipped another piece of their ’21 Cup champs, defenseman Sam Girard ($5 million cap hit), for the bigger, cheaper Brett Kulak ($2.75 million). Tuesday’s Sammy G swap was the kind of trade that feels like the opening salvo of a series of Chris MacFarland moves that also address 3C (Kadri? O’Reilly? Coyle?); veteran depth; and bottom-six guys who can bang in the postseason.
“We like the team we have,” Bednar stressed. “I mean, any pieces that we can add just adds more depth, more options for the rigors that come ahead.”
Don’t focus on the politics. Focus on logistics. Of the 20 players from Team USA who did visit the White House Tuesday, only four — Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, Utah’s Clayton Keller and Vegas’ Jack Eichel and Noah Hanfin — had games scheduled on Wednesday in either the Mountain or Pacific time zones.
Hellebuyck stuck around to the bitter end for his Presidential Medal of Freedom announcement, which was more than understandable. Keller reportedly skipped the State of the Union to head west for Avs-Mammoth. Eichel and Noah Hanifin, who stayed in Washington throughout, won’t play in Vegas’ Wednesday evening tilt in Vancouver.
Nelson, meanwhile, remains as ‘Merican as Chevrolet and apple pie, as long as the former’s got snow tires and the latter’s served cold.
The Avs forward hails from the tiny northern Minnesota town of Warroad, about 8 miles south of the Canadian border. He’s part of one of the coolest Olympic legacies in American hockey, too, a third-generation gold-medal winner. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold with the Stars & Stripes in 1960, scoring two goals in America’s first-ever victory over the Soviets. Nelson always believed in Miracles, because he grew up hearing about one of the biggest — his uncle, Dave Christian, was a defenseman for Team USA’s golden 1980 men’s hockey team.
Big Brock already gave at the office. And gave plenty. Nelson’s two goals at the Olympics were tied for third on Team USA, and he finished the tourney with three points and a plus-1 rating over six games and 81 minutes of ice time.
Remember early December? When Denver dreamed of three championship parades in 2026? Yeah, well, Nikola Jokic got hurt. Christian Braun got hurt. Peyton Watson got hurt. Aaron Gordon got re-hurt. Sean Payton was too proud, too stubborn, to kick a short field goal and go up 10-0 with a Super Bowl on the line.
Fast forward two months, and the Avs are the best hope the Front Range has of partying with a trophy at Civic Center Park. When Nelson goes to the White House, it’ll be with Lord Stanley in tow.
But to get there, Bednar needs eyes clear, hearts full and legs fresh. Veteran legs, especially. Nelson’s 34 with hair that looks 15 years older, a silver fox who’s having one of the best seasons (49 points in 55 games) of an excellent NHL career.
He’s also running out of shots to win a ring before he hangs up the skates. If you’re not putting your family and the Avs ahead of a photo op in D.C., you’re doing it wrong.
Hence then, the article about keeler avalanche s brock nelson put family stanley cup before donald trump good for him was published today ( ) and is available on The Denver Post ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Keeler: Avalanche’s Brock Nelson put family, Stanley Cup before Donald Trump? Good for him. )
Also on site :
- My Dying Husband Has One Final Wish. I Don’t Think I Can Give Him That.
- Wynn Resorts faces second lawsuit after data breach incident involving employees
- Nancy Guthrie Update: Mexican Mothers Face Hurdles Joining Search