Gophers hockey center Jaxon Nelson returns for a fifth season

Jaxon Nelson, a second-line center who helped the Gophers reach the NCAA championship game, will return to the men’s hockey program for his fifth year of eligibility, the university’s athletic department announced Tuesday.

A native of Magnolia, Nelson was an assistant captain for the Gophers in 2022-23. He had 10 goals and 17 assists in all 40 games. The 6-4, 225-pounder scored a goal in the Frozen Four championship loss to Quinnipiac and was the team’s top center in matchups, winning 57.1% of his faceoffs (431-755). In four seasons, Nelson has 23 goals and 35 assists in 130 games. The 23-year-old Nelson was not drafted by the NHL team.

Nelson’s return is welcome news for the Gophers, who saw two first-time All-America selections sign and play with their NHL teams, sophomore forward Matthew Knies with the Toronto Maple Leafs and junior defenseman Brock Faber with the Wild. A third All-American, freshman forward Logan Cooley, the Arizona Coyotes’ No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft, has not indicated whether he will return to the Gophers.

With Nelson back, the Gophers will have three more regular players in 2022-23 who can use the fifth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA for the 2020-21 season shortened by COVID-19. They are forward Bryce Brodzinski, Nelson’s linemate; defenseman Ryan Johnson and goalkeeper Justen Close. Defenseman Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim’s second-round pick, could have used a fifth year, but signed with the Ducks and made his NHL debut. Johnson, Buffalo’s first-round pick, can sign with the Sabers or test free agency if he is not signed by the Sabers by Aug. 15.