Todd Nelson (ice hockey) Todd Nelson (ice hockey) Todd Nelson (born May 15, 1969) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the older brother of Jeff Nelson. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Nelson played primarily in the minors and played just one game for the Penguins. Signed as a free agent by the Washington Capitals, he helped guide the Capitals' minor league affiliate Portland Pirates to the Calder Cup in 1994. He was inducted into the Pirates
Ice hockey in the United States Ice hockey in the United States Ice hockey, usually referred to in the U.S. simply as "hockey", is a popular sport in the United States. Hockey in the U.S. began in 1894 when the first artificial ice rink was built in Baltimore, Maryland. Now hockey is most popular in regions of the U.S. with cold winter climates, such as the northeast and the upper Midwest. However, since the 1990s, ice hockey has become increasingly popular in the Sun Belt due in large part to the expansion of the National Hockey League to the southeast and southwest U.S., coupled with the