Brock Nelson’s two-goal performance leads Team USA to victory over Latvia in Olympic debut
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Team USA is off to a strong start in men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, defeating Latvia, 5-1, to open play on Thursday night.
While the team is loaded with young talent, it was the team’s oldest player, 34-year-old Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, who scored twice for the United States in the second period to lead the team.
Nelson was patient with his first goal, which broke a 1-1 tie in the second period when New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes found him in front of the net. Nelson forced his way past Latvian goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins and took a 2-1 lead.
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Brock Nelson of the USA celebrates his goal with his teammates during a men’s Group A preliminary match against Latvia at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Stadium on February 12, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Robert Hradil)
Then, with less than a minute left in the second, the United States found itself in prime position to open the floodgates when Hughes again received the puck from Matthew Tkachuk.
As Hughes scanned the ice, Nelson wasted no time with a one-timer off a nifty pass that found the back of the net for his second goal of the period.
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Early in the game, Nelson scored on a shot to Team USA’s blue line. But Latvia won its second challenge of the first period on goals after the referees determined that goalie interference affected the outcome.
Before Nelson’s goal was disallowed, Quinn Hughes was denied a goal after the Latvian bench challenged an offside prior to the play. The challenge was correct and the score was 1-1.
Brady Tkachuk of the United States celebrates his goal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Stadium on February 12, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images)
However, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew’s brother, got things going early in the game, when he hit a deft shot over Merzlikins’ glove 5:29 into the game.
Things got interesting, however, when Renars Krastenbergs won a fight for the puck in front of Team USA’s net just over a minute after Quinn Hughes’ goal was called back, with a backhander past Connor Hellebuyck to score.
However, that was Latvia’s only goal and Hellebuyck faced only 18 shots to Team USA’s 38.
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Tage Thompson and Auston Matthews were powerful scorers for Team USA, the former coming in the second period to make the game 3-1, while the latter scored a point-blank shot in the third to seal the victory.
Brock Nelson celebrates a goal with Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Hughes at his side in a 5-1 victory over Latvia on February 12, 2026, at the Cortina Games in Milan 2026. (RvS.Media/Robert Hradil)
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Team USA did what they were supposed to do against Latvia, and should be heavily favored against the host Italian team on Saturday.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for News Digital.