Jaxon Nelson

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Photo by: Ric Kruszynski

Position:
Forward
Ht./Wt.:
6-4 / 220
Class:
Graduate Student
Hometown:
Magnolia, Minn.
High School:
Luverne HS
Previous Team:
Omaha Lancers (USHL)
Major:
Supply Chain and Operations Management

PRONUNCIATION

• Signed one-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Boston Bruins on April 2, 2024

2023-24 | GRADUATE STUDENT
NCAA Sioux Falls Regional All-Tournament Team
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention Team
Big Ten Conference First Star of the Week (Mar. 5)
Minnesota's John Mariucci MVP
Minnesota's Tom Mohr Playoff MVP
Academic All-Big Ten
• Served as a co-captain for the Gophers and was one of nine players to appear in all 39 games during his final college hockey campaign
• Finished the year with career highs in goals and points with 19 and 31, respectively, while reaching double-digit assists (12) for the third time
• Scored 11 of his career-best 19 goals over the last eight games of the season, including four multi-goal performances, while he also had 13 points and was a plus-11 in that stretch
• Tallied the only hat trick of his college career in a home win over No. 16 Michigan (Mar. 1), finding the back of the net once in all three periods
• Closed the weekend series versus the Wolverines with five goals and one assist as his six-point effort led to B1G First Star of the Week honors, his first weekly award as a Gopher
• Put away three of Minnesota's six goals in the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional to land on the All-Tournament Team
• Three of his goals came on the man advantage, while he scored his lone game-winning goal of the year in an NCAA Tournament win over Omaha (Mar. 28)
• Posted a career-best three assists during a home victory against No. 7 Michigan State (Nov. 26)
• Started the year with points in his first five contests, which extended his scoring streak from 2022-23 to a career-long nine games
• Added a second point streak of five games between Feb. 17 and Mar. 9
• Ended the league slate with 17 points in 24 Big Ten Conference appearances thanks to 10 goals
• Won a team-best 395 total faceoffs, ranking 14th in the NCAA, and was second on the team behind a 52.0 winning percentage on draws
• Reached double-digit faceoff wins 19 times, including a career-high 20 versus No. 7 Michigan State (Nov. 26)
• Ranked fifth for the Gophers behind a plus-14 rating for the year
• Led all Minnesota forwards in blocked shots, totaling 39 for the year
• Blocked a career-high eight shots in a B1G quarterfinal win over Penn State (Mar. 9), the third-most by an NCAA player in a single game this season
• Gophers owned a record of 15-5-2 when he posted a point and went 8-4-2 in games that he scored a goal
• Earned fifth letter

2022-23 | SENIOR
Academic All-Big Ten
• One of nine Gophers to appear in all the team's 40 games
• Finished the season with career highs in goals (10), assists (17) and points (27)
• Was one of seven Minnesota players to record double-digit goals with four of his 10 coming on the power play
• Ranked 18th nationally and third on the team with four game-winning goals
• Scored the team's first goal of the season as the winner against Lindenwood (Oct. 1) on opening night
• Tallied five outings with multiple points, including a career-best, three-point effort at Michigan (Nov. 18) with two goals and an assist
• Tied a career high with his only multi-goal performance of the season against the Wolverines (Nov. 18)
• Had a point in all four NCAA Tournament appearances, totaling five points, and had six points in six postseason games
• Recorded a career-long, five-game point streak from Oct. 22 to Nov. 5
• Registered a point in 14 of 20 outings during the 2022 calendar year for 19 points in that stretch
• Twice scored goals in back-to-back contests, all coming in a six-game span
• Gophers held a 15-5-1 record when he registered a point and an 8-1-0 mark when he scored a goal
• Was the team's top center winning 57.1 percent of faceoffs (431-of-755)
• Closed the year with a plus-10 rating and was a season-best, plus-3 at Michigan State (Dec. 3)
• Blocked a total of 37 shots, the most of any forward on the team
• Key piece of Minnesota's NCAA-leading offense that averaged 4.2 goals per game
• Part of the Gophers runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four and a Big Ten Conference regular season championship
• Earned fourth letter and served as an alternate captain

2021-22 | JUNIOR
Academic All-Big Ten
• Skated in 26 games as a junior for the Gophers
• Recorded 10 points (six goals, four assists) including a career high for goals in a single season
• Helped the Gophers win the 2021-22 Big Ten Regular-Season Championship and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 2014
• Missed 13 games due to injury, but returned with five points in his first five games back in the lineup
• Tallied his first career multi-goal game with two tallies against Penn State (Nov. 19)
• Recorded his first career two-assist performance in the NCAA opener against UMass (a 4-3 overtime win Mar. 25), including an assist on the game-winning goal
• Team was 6-2-0 when he tallied a point
• Earned third letter

2020-21 | SOPHOMORE
Academic All-Big Ten
• Skated in all 31 games as a sophomore
• Recorded new career highs for points (15), goals (five) and assists (10)
• Team was 4-1-0 when he scored a goal and 11-2-0 when he tallied a point
• Recorded his first career multi-point game in a 5-2 win at Ohio State (Jan. 30), including the game-winning goal
• Notched a pair of three-game point streaks and then tallied points in four-straight playoff games to set a new career-best scoring streak
• Assisted on the overtime winner in Minnesota's Big Ten tournament quarterfinal game against Michigan State
• Scored the game winner and added an assist in the Big Ten tournament title game against Wisconsin for his second career multi-point game
• Earned second letter

2019-20 | FRESHMAN
• Skated in 33 games as a freshman
• Recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in his first campaign with the Gophers
• Made his collegiate debut with the Maroon and Gold against Niagara (Oct. 18)
• Notched his first career point with an assist against Notre Dame (Nov. 2) and added his first career goal against Penn State (Nov. 15)
• Assisted on the game winner against St. Cloud State in the Mariucci Classic championship game (Dec. 29)
• Picked up his first career game-winning goal against Ohio State (Jan. 24)
• The 2019-20 season ended on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns as Minnesota prepared for the Big Ten tournament semifinals
• Earned first letter

JUNIORS/HIGH SCHOOL
• Played three seasons in the USHL between the Omaha Lancers and the Sioux Falls Stampede
• Spent the 2018-19 season with Omaha as an alternate captain and recorded career highs for points (40), goals (19) and assists (21)
• Recorded 75 points (34 goals, 41 assists) in 164 regular-season USHL games
• Competed in the 2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
• Previously played at Luverne High School and led the Cardinals to their first state tournament appearance in 2014
• Ranks fifth in Minnesota state high school history with 290 career points and sixth in Minnesota state high school history with 155 career goals
• An all-state honoree in 2016 after setting a Minnesota state high school record with 78 goals, while his 124 points that season rank fourth in state history
• A five-time all-conference selection (two in hockey, two in baseball, one in football)
• Lettered in hockey, football and baseball at Luverne

PERSONAL
• Son of Chad and Jennifer Nelson
• Has two siblings (Taylor and Mallory)
• An honor roll student at Luverne High School
• Competed in the 2017 USA Hockey All-American prospects game
• Graduated from the Carlson School of Management in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Business degree majoring in Supply Chain and Operations Management
• Completed a Strategic Management certificate from the Carlson School of Management in May 2024