Sammy Nelson will play NHL draft season at Notre Dame: 'I'm headed there next year'
The Nelson brothers are the latest emerging talents in a long line of hockey players from Maple Grove, Minnesota, and all eyes are on the youngest.
Sammy Nelson, a talented 2027 NHL draft-eligible prospect, was originally committed to the University of Notre Dame for the 2027-28 season, but has decided to make the leap to college a season early.
“Yeah, I’m headed there next year,” he told Elite Prospects.
Nelson will be a true freshman at Notre Dame next year, and he knows there will be a learning curve. He’s watched Gavin McKenna’s true freshman season at Penn State, but knows it’ll be a good challenge for him.
“I like watching Gavin, obviously, he's pretty young. It's a little bit of a struggle, but it'll be good. Good competition, good leadership, which will help.”
Nelson plans to lean on his older brothers for advice. Older brother Danny, a New York Islanders second round pick in 2023, decided to return to Notre Dame for his senior season, to play with both of his brothers.
And they might even room together.
“Yeah, and my oldest brother (Henry) is also going to be a senior next year too. So it could potentially be awesome,” Sammy said, leaving room for potential brotherly shenanigans. “Well, at first you have to room with a random roommate in the dorm, but they live together in an apartment right now. They can get an extra bed,” he adds.
“My mom likes that we are together. We will all be in the same place for a year, which will be nice. Living in Maple Grove, they’re used to driving there a lot, so it’ll be nice to go to one spot rather than split it up.”
Learning from his brothers has been truly beneficial to his emerging hockey career. It starts at the hockey rink, but there’s life outside of the rink as well. Living on a massive college campus takes some getting used to, and he will learn the ins and outs better than most newbies.
“I mean, it’s crazy. I haven’t played with them before,” Nelson said. “Like, they teach me every day when we're together. We're always working in the garage and stuff, trying to teach each other tricks and stuff on face-offs and stuff, and just a good role model for me in my life.”
For now, though, Nelson’s focus is on his current team, the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U18 squad. At just 17-years old (he won’t turn 18 until September), he’s already one of their top scorers. Scouts are already excited to see how his game can develop next season in his NHL draft year.
His physical growth has been well-documented. Nelson weighed 184 pounds last season on the U17 NTDP team. Then in September, at the Fall Classic, he was listed at 6-foot-3, 192-pounds. Being part of an elite training program at the NTDP has its advantages. Putting on that muscle means a lot as he gets closer to that magic number of 200 pounds that NHL scouts covet.
“I currently weigh about 195. Around 200 would be a good weight for me,” said Nelson.
The NTDP has a lot to offer hockey players with the best training and structure that few can match, and that’s not lost on Nelson.
“Great coaching, great opportunities. So you’re just learning from your teammates. You’re practicing on the ice every day against the best kids in the world every day. So take advantage of that and work hard,” Nelson added.
Plus, his favourite American player, Auston Matthews, went through the program before eventually becoming an NHL star.
“I like shooting the puck like him. I’m always watching him. He’s a great goal scorer,” Nelson reiterated.
‘I don't feel any pressure,” Nelson said before the USHL All-American Game in January. “It’s not my draft year this year, so I can just go out there, play freely, [and] not worry about any of that, so I'm excited.”
Nelson is a humble player who is eager to learn and to continue growing his game. His playmaking was on display at the All-American game, and he was noticeable even though he didn't put any points on the board. He was the second-line centre on an All-Star team.
“It’s truly an honor,” Nelson stated. “A lot of great guys come in, [there are] a lot of great guys in the league, so [I’m] truly honored to be playing here.”
Nelson talked about having fun, and playing like it was just another game, even though the building was filled with NHL scouts. That’s a great sign that he can handle whatever will be thrown at him next year, since there will be a lot more focus on him from the start of next season.
Success is self-determined. We all have a different idea of what success looks like and feels like, and this young man has his own ideas about it.
“I think just building every day, trying to win whatever you're winning, like practice, games, whatever it is, just win every day in life, take advantage of every day,” Nelson explained.
Nelson is a projected top 10 prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft. He’s lethal on the power play. He has enough speed to earn breakaways that he can bury on. He talked about faceoffs earlier, and InStat has him at 56% from the dot. That’s impressive. And he brings a highly-detailed defensive game to match his offensive prowess.
Given his maturity level, and the coaching he will get next season, there’s no doubt that Nelson will be set up well for success. There’s still a long way to go before next year’s draft, but whichever team drafts him will be getting a potential star player with a bright future ahead of him.
