Introduction
Casey Nelson (born July 18, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, currently playing with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Buffalo Sabres organization of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
High School
Nelson played in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association for the Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School Red Raiders at the SWCRC (South Wood County Recreation Center) in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin US.
Amateur
Nelson played in the North American Hockey League with the Alaska Avalanche and Johnstown Tomahawks. He was named the NAHL Defenseman of the Month for November 2012, and he played in the 2013 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament.
Nelson joined the NCAA's Minnesota State Mavericks in 2013 and played three seasons at the school. He was named to the All-WCHA Second Team in the 2014–15 season. In the 2015–16 season, he was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year while being named to the All-WCHA First Team.
Nelson played alongside his brother, Josh, for the 2013–14 season.
Professional
Nelson was invited to participate in a prospect camp for the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers in the summer of 2015.
Nelson was signed to an entry-level professional contract by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres on March 22, 2016. He made his NHL debut with the team on March 26, tallying his first NHL point on an assist in the first period of a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
On June 29, 2016, Nelson signed a two-year contract extension with the Sabres. He recorded his first NHL goal on February 11, 2018, in a 5–4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. On May 2, 2018, Nelson re-signed with the Sabres.
Personal
A native of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, Nelson was a member of a state tournament attending hockey team at Lincoln High School. His older brother Josh currently coaches the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Alaska Avalanche | NAHL | 29 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Alaska Avalanche | NAHL | 56 | 1 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Johnstown Tomahawks | NAHL | 56 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Minnesota State | WCHA | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Minnesota State | WCHA | 40 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Minnesota State | WCHA | 40 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 58 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 40 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 37 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 38 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 48 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 93 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-WCHA First Team | 2015–16 |