The Nelson brothers’ hockey path keeps stretching from South Bend to Long Island, and now it’s pulling in a third sibling, too.
Danny Nelson, a second-round pick by the Islanders in 2023, is back with his older brother Henry at Notre Dame and now has Henry alongside him at NY Islanders Development Camp. The two have been teammates since they enrolled at Notre Dame in the same year, and this week they’re sharing the ice again with the organization’s top prospects.
Henry said the experience has been a welcome one after his second day at camp.
"It's really cool being here with him (Danny)," Henry said after his second day of camp. "Coming out to Long Island, it's great people here, great camp.
I'm really excited for teh rest of the week. It's been a blast so far.
I'm excited to keep going."
Henry, a defenseman, put together his strongest NCAA season as a junior, finishing with three goals and 10 assists. He described himself as a player who can contribute in both ends of the rink.
"I think I'm a two-way defenseman," Henry said, describing his game. "Working up in the rush, but really working on that defensive side of the game, being harder in the corners. I'm working a lot with the coaches at Notre Dame just to have that edge."
And the family connection isn’t stopping there. Sammy, one of the 2027 NHL Draft’s top prospects, is set to start his freshman season at Notre Dame next year, which means Danny and Henry will be handing down the college-hockey playbook all over again.
"I never thought I'd be playing college hockey with Sammy," Danny said. "It'll be fun to have him come in, kind of teach him the ropes. He's been texting us about all his classes, so it'll be fun to just teach him the ways."
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