By Andrew Gross
His Avalanche teammates kept throwing tissues and tissue boxes toward Brock Nelson in the visitor’s dressing room prior to Thursday night’s match against the Islanders at UBS Arena.
The gag being Nelson typically keeps his emotions in check almost as well as any NHL player. But playing his first game on Long Island after 13 seasons as an Islander could be conducive to showing emotion, much as he did in an interview with MSG Network’s Shannon Hogan in his last game at UBS Arena before being traded on March 6.
But Nelson was not anticipating that.
“Not really,” Nelson said. “It’s more fun to see everybody, like walking in Garden City to get a coffee. It’s still so familiar. Obviously, it’s not home right now but it was for a long time and a lot of great memories.
“Got in late (Wednesday) night. My family came out, my wife and kids. Got dinner with them. It’s kind of funny seeing their perspective. It’s the first time for them to be back. They said it still feels like home. It feels like we went on a vacation. It’s weird now. It was fun to play those guys first there, to have that being the first time seeing them. Here is just quite a bit different.”
Nelson notched a goal and an assist in 19:04 as the Avalanche beat the Islanders 4-1 in Denver on Nov. 16.
The 34-year-old entered Thursday with six goals and six assists in his previous 10 games dating to Nov. 11 and on a four-game point streak (three goals, four assists). He had nine goals and eight assists in 26 games as the Avalanche entered Thursday’s match with an NHL-best 19-1-6 mark.
Nelson, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million extension that is believed to be the same as former president/general manager Lou Lamoriello offered him before trading him to Colorado, played 901 games as an Islander, the fifth most in team history. His 295 goals are also fifth on the team’s all-time list and his 574 points are eighth.
“It’s great to see him, great to have him here,” said captain Anders Lee, who chatted with Nelson as he came out to the Avalanche bench before the Islanders’ morning skate. “Expecting a warm welcome for him. Brock meant a lot to this room and a lot to this organization for a long time. I know the fans are probably excited to give him a little love that he deserves.”
Still, former Islander Devon Toews, traded to the Avalanche in 2020, said he was not surprised Nelson signed an extension this offseason after the Islanders swapped him in a deal that netted rookie center Cal Ritchie and a first- and third-round pick.
“I think he really enjoyed his time (after the trade) and he fits so well into our team and he’s a huge part of our success,” the defenseman said. “He’s been on fire lately and really finding his footing.”
Nelson spent part of Wednesday going to his family’s favorite sushi place in Port Washington then visiting former teammates Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey and their families. He and his wife, Karley, have young four children and Nelson said, “they act like no time has passed.”
But Nelson also gave thought to the in-game video highlighting his Islanders’ career.
“You don’t reminisce too much but having never gone through it before, it will be fun to see different things,” Nelson said. “When I see Bails and Clutter, that brings up a lot.”
Tissues, please.
Notes & quotes: Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body) missed his sixth game but participated in the Islanders’ morning skate in a non-contact jersey for the second straight time. Coach Patrick Roy said he expects Pageau to travel with the team for this weekend’s back-to-back in Tampa Bay and Florida. “I don’t know if he’s going to play a game or not,” Roy said. “We haven’t put a timeframe on it. We’re going to make sure that he’s 100% when he comes back.” This weekend is the dads’ trip, though some brothers are going as well…Goalie Ilya Sorokin started for the third straight game and for the fourth time in the last five matches…Defenseman Adam Boqvist and forward Marc Gatcomb remained the healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.