Collegiate
Nelson committed to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers starting in the 2019–20 season, in his freshman year of high school. [1] At the time of his commitment, Nelson was seen as one of the best high school prospects in Minnesota, even though he was only a freshman. [2]
As a freshman, Nelson played in 33 games for the Golden Gophers. In those 33 games, he scored two goals and four assists for six total points. After helping Minnesota advance to the semifinals of the 2020 Big Ten Tournament over Notre Dame, Nelson and the Golden Gophers were set to play top seeded Penn State. However, their season would abruptly end after the Big Ten cancelled the tournament due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Later, the NCAA cancelled the rest of the season due to the pandemic as well.
Returning to action for the 2020–21 season, Nelson saw an uptick in his role and production with the Golden Gophers. In 31 games, Nelson scored five goals and ten assists for 15 points. He would then help the Golden Gophers win the 2021 Big Ten tournament, scoring a goal in the championship against the Wisconsin Badgers. [3] The tournament victory gave Minnesota an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA tournament. After a decisive 7–2 victory over Omaha in the first round, Nelson and the Golden Gophers would get shutout 4–0 by the Minnesota State Mavericks in the following round, ending their season.
Nelson missed 13 games of his junior season due to injury. [4] However, despite this, he still posted solid numbers in his limited action, scoring six goals and four assists. He would once again help the Golden Gophers reach the finals 2022 Big Ten tournament, but the ending wasn't happy this time, as they fell 4–3 to the Michigan Wolverines. They would still secure an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA tournament, and they would make the most of it. After defeating the defending champion UMass in the first round, a game in which Nelson would assist on the game-winning overtime winner, they then proceeded to shutout Western Michigan to proceed to the Frozen Four. [5] [6] Unfortunately, the Mavericks would once again end the Golden Gophers season, defeating them 5–1. [7]
Nelson was named a captain of the Golden Gophers for his senior year. [8] As a senior, he posted career highs in all categories, scoring 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 40 games. Nelson once again led his team to the final round of the 2023 Big Ten tournament, Minnesota's third straight appearance in the finals. However, for the second consecutive season, the Golden Gophers would lose out on the Big Ten Championship to the Wolverines, losing 4–3. Despite this, the Golden Gophers once again made a deep run in the 2023 NCAA tournament, making it all the way to the championship round. They would dominate Canisius in the first round, beating them 9–2, then beat in-state rival St. Cloud State 4–1 before another dominating 6–2 win over Boston University in the Frozen Four to reach the final. In the final against Quinnipiac, Minnesota could not hold an early 2–0 lead and would fall 3–2 in overtime. In the run, Nelson had a point in every game in the tournament, with two goals and three assists, including a goal in the championship round.
Nelson announced that he would return to the Golden Gophers for a fifth and final season. [9] Nelson was once again named a captain of the team for the 2023–24 season. [10] Nelson would continue his statistical success with the Golden Gophers, scoring a career high 19 goals, and adding 12 assists for 31 total points in 39 games. However, déjà vu struck the Golden Gophers once again, as they would be eliminated by none other than the Wolverines in the semifinals of the 2024 Big Ten tournament, the third straight year such had happened. However, they would receive an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA tournament for a third straight year as well, although this time, there wouldn't be a long run like the previous year. After a close 3–2 victory over Omaha which saw Nelson score two goals, including the game-tying and game-winning goals in the third period, Boston University would get their revenge on Nelson and the Golden Gophers in the following round, beating them 6-3 and ending their season. Nelson scored one goal in the loss, which would be his final collegiate game. Nelson's successful season had him named the recipient of the John Maruicci Award on April 30, 2024, given to the Golden Gopher's most valuable player. [11]
Professional
On April 2, 2024, just three days after his collegiate career had ending, it was announced that Nelson had signed a one-year, $870,000 entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. He would report to the Bruins AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, on an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the 2023–24 season. [12]
Nelson played in seven games with Providence in the 2023-24 season. He would score his first professional goal on April 14, 2024, against the Springfield Thunderbirds. It would be his only point of the season. The Bruins would face the Hartford Wolf Pack in the opening round of the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, but would be eliminated in four games, in which Nelson did not register a point.
