{"id":491937,"date":"2026-02-26T16:32:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/491937\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T16:32:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:32:14","slug":"brock-nelson-put-family-avalanche-ahead-of-donald-trump-good-for-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/491937\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock Nelson put family, Avalanche ahead of Donald Trump? Good for him"},"content":{"rendered":"

Show of hands if your wife has looked at you the way Nathan MacKinnon looked at that stuffed stoat.<\/a><\/p>\n

Heck, yeah, Brock Nelson put family first this week.<\/a><\/p>\n

And good for him. The Avalanche center\u2019s got four young, adorable kids at home, all under 8 years old.<\/a> Daddy\u2019s spent the last three weeks in the Alps, grinding through Olympic mode. He deserves a day off to be with the people he loves.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what he doesn\u2019t deserve: Becoming a political pawn that conveniently fits your worldview.<\/p>\n

Nelson avoided President Donald Trump\u2019s company on Tuesday, one of five members of USA Hockey\u2019s gold-medal-winning men\u2019s roster to do so. The Avs\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

The Avs told The Post\u2019s Corey Masisak that it was a family decision. Again: Three weeks abroad. Four young kids. Can\u2019t we leave it at that? Shouldn\u2019t we leave it at that?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to check out the White House. I think it\u2019s an incredible honor,\u201d Nelson told reporters early Wednesday evening. \u201cEveryone who\u2019s American, I think if you have that opportunity, it\u2019s an incredible one. Kind of bummed that I missed it but for me, (it) just didn\u2019t work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelson\u2019s got a family to feed. And a job to do. There\u2019s nothing in the contract about having to sit through an hour and 48 minutes of a Tuesday night speech in Washington<\/a> when you\u2019ve got a Wednesday morning skate in Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n

Buckle up, Captain America. Let\u2019s freaking go<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s his prerogative.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will present a little bit of a challenge for us, not having gone through some things as a team,\u201d coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday before the team flew out to Utah. \u201cI 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\u2019ve just been playing some of the most intense hockey that they\u2019ve ever played, so that we should be able to piece it together here for (Wednesday) night.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Avs are going for it, kids. As well they should. Colorado just flipped another piece of their \u201921 Cup champs, defenseman Sam Girard ($5 million cap hit), for the bigger, cheaper Brett Kulak ($2.75 million)<\/a>. Tuesday\u2019s 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\u2019Reilly? Coyle?); veteran depth; and bottom-six guys who can bang in the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like the team we have,\u201d Bednar stressed. \u201cI mean, any pieces that we can add just adds more depth, more options for the rigors that come ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t focus on the politics. Focus on logistics. Of the 20 players from Team USA<\/a> who did visit the White House Tuesday, only four \u2014 Winnipeg\u2019s Connor Hellebuyck, Utah\u2019s Clayton Keller and Vegas\u2019 Jack Eichel and Noah Hanfin \u2014 had games scheduled on Wednesday in either the Mountain or Pacific time zones.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t play in Vegas\u2019 Wednesday evening tilt in Vancouver.<\/p>\n

Nelson, meanwhile, remains as \u2018Merican as Chevrolet and apple pie, as long as the former\u2019s got snow tires and the latter\u2019s served cold.<\/p>\n

\"GoldGold medalists Brock Nelson #29, Jake Oettinger #30, Auston Matthews #34, Connor Hellebuyck #37 and Quinn Hughes #43 of Team United States listen to the national anthem during the medal ceremony for Men’s Ice Hockey following their gold-medal win during the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Avs forward hails from the tiny northern Minnesota town of Warroad, about 8 miles south of the Canadian border. He\u2019s part of one of the coolest Olympic legacies in American hockey<\/a>, too, a third-generation gold-medal winner. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold with the Stars & Stripes in 1960, scoring two goals in America\u2019s first-ever victory over the Soviets. Nelson always believed in Miracles, because he grew up hearing about one of the biggest \u2014 his uncle, Dave Christian, was a defenseman for Team USA\u2019s golden 1980 men\u2019s hockey team.<\/p>\n

Big Brock already gave at the office. And gave plenty. Nelson\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> and go up 10-0 with a Super Bowl on the line.<\/p>\n

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\u2019ll be with Lord Stanley in tow.<\/p>\n

But to get there, Bednar needs eyes clear, hearts full and legs fresh. Veteran legs, especially. Nelson\u2019s 34 with hair that looks 15 years older, a silver fox who\u2019s having one of the best seasons (49 points in 55 games) of an excellent NHL career.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also running out of shots to win a ring before he hangs up the skates. If you\u2019re not putting your family and the Avs ahead of a photo op in D.C., you\u2019re doing it wrong.<\/p>\n

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