Former New York Islanders center Brock Nelson has signed a three-year contract extension to stay with the Colorado Avalanche, the team announced on Wednesday.
Per reports, the deal carries an average annual value of $7.5 million.
The 33-year-old center was sent by the Islanders at the trade deadline to Colorado for a first-round draft pick and promising young forward Calum Ritchie, who should be knocking on the door of the NHL full-time in 2025-26.
Nelson recorded six goals and seven assists in 19 regular-season games and four assists in seven playoff games with the Avalanche after spending parts of 12 seasons with New York. He is one of just five players in franchise history with 900 games played. He ranks fifth in Islanders history with 294 goals and eighth with 572 points.
His sixth goal with Colorado on April 12 made him the 28th US-born player in NHL history to record 300 career goals.
“My family and I are excited to be staying in Colorado,” Nelson said. “Having spent my entire career with one organization, we weren’t totally sure what to expect when we arrived in Denver. But getting the opportunity to play for the Avalanche, to compete with a great group of teammates in that locker room, and in front of the tremendous fans at Ball Arena, we knew this was where we wanted to stay.”
Trading Nelson was the final prominent move executed by former team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello, whose contract was not extended following the Islanders missing the playoffs in April. The team has since hired Mathieu Darche as its new general manager, and has the No. 1 pick at the 2025 NHL Draft later this month to add to a growing prospect pool alongside Ritchie and Cole Eiserman.
