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With World Junior gold on the line - and a 7:30 puck drop - Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson and Jesse Nurmi had all day Sunday to let the nerves, energy and adrenaline take hold. The gold medal game would be the biggest stage Eiserman and Nurmi had stepped onto in their hockey careers and while Nelson was back for a second time, even an encore stirred plenty of emotions.

“The emotions of that day are crazy, it’s a whirlwind,” Nelson said. “We’re just itching to get to that game, it’s a later game, so when you finally get there, it's like okay, it's time to play. Everybody on Team USA had the right mindset. We all knew, hey, we have the team to go do this, so let's just go out there and win this thing.”

On the other side of the ice was Nurmi and Team Finland, who rebounded after dropping 4-0 decision to Team Canada in the first game of the tournament to win five straight games, including a semifinal over their archrivals in Sweden.

“It was big for Finland and Finland’s hockey history too,” Nurmi said. “Nobody thought we would be in the final after that first game or even before the tournament. When we made it, it was a pretty good feeling, and we were close to winning it all.”

Eiserman, Nelson and Team USA overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat Finland 4-3 in overtime to take home gold, while Nurmi and Finland earned silver. That meant three of the Islanders’ four prospects in the tournament took home hardware. Marcus Gidlof, who also participated in the tournament with Team Sweden, was the starting netminder in the bronze medal game but fell 3-2 in a shootout to Czechia.

The experience the Islanders prospects took away from the tournament will be valuable for their development now that they’re back in action at their respective collegiate and junior teams.

"To really think about what you're playing for, you're playing for your country, you're playing for your teammates to do something special and win," Eiserman said. “I can definitely take that experience back to school."

Eiserman, who the Isles selected 20th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, teamed up with Nelson, the Islanders’ 2023 second-round pick (49th overall) on Team USA. Having competed against each other at the NCAA level – with Eiserman playing for BU and Nelson playing with Notre Dame – the two Isles picks got to bond as teammates on the road for an extended period.

“We played with and against each other a couple times and just knew each other through hockey,” Nelson said. “But over the tournament I got to hang out with him more than I ever have, it was good to build a connection with him.”

It was the second trip to the World Juniors for Nelson, who won gold with Team USA last year and found himself in an elevated role in year two. Nelson donned an “A” as an alternate captain and helped Team USA win back-to-back gold medals for the first time in World Junior history and made a greater impact on the scoresheet. The 6’3,” 212 lbs. forward saw more ice time and put up six points (4G, 2A) in seven games this year after he recorded two points (1G, 1A) in 2024.

“Last year I was given a little bit less of a role, but I tried to embrace that and just play as much as I could and as good as I could with the minutes that I got,” Nelson said. “Then this year, I got a heightened role, and I felt like I really wanted to go out there and just take advantage of my opportunity to prove myself, and I feel like I was able to do that.”

Eiserman had the same mindset in his first World Juniors. The 18-year-old was given a variety of roles as the tournament went on, whether it was playing on a line with Nelson, dressing in games as a 13th forward or being utilized in certain situations like the power play.

“In these short tournaments, you can’t change the coach’s mind in a short amount of games,” Eiserman said. “So, whether you're given a line, or an extra forward roll, PK or PP you kind of just got to make the most your opportunity.”

The 6’0,” 196 lbs. forward was effective and took advantage of every opportunity, finishing the seven-game tourney with seven points (3G, 4A), garnering attention and praise from Islanders President and GM Lou Lamoriello.

"What I liked about him is the way he accepted his role, had success in that role," Lamoriello said of Eiserman. “He's feisty and loves to play the game."

Lamoriello also had a solid assessment of Nelson, saying the 19-year-old has become an "all-around, 200-foot player both offensively and defensively” in a solid showing.

Medaling in the World Juniors is a tremendous accomplishment, but making the squad is a feat in and of itself. It took Eiserman two camps to make the Team USA squad, an opportunity he’d dreamed of. For Nurmi, he was clear about his goal to make team Finland since he stepped foot at the Islanders facilities for training camp last September. When he made the squad after a short camp in December, he was thrilled to be in the showcase for the first time.

“Had a phone call with the head coach and I remember when he said I made the team, it was a great feeling,” Nurmi said. “I remember being so excited to represent Finland and it was a great feeling to know I’ll meet all the guys from Finland.”

The small, but shifty forward at 5’11” and 176 lbs. had a solid performance on an international stage, contributing two goals and five points through seven games en route to Finland earning silver.

“He's a great player,” Nelson said of Nurmi. “Just an amazing guy. Met him a couple times, it was fun to play against him.”

Eiserman and Nelson now belong to a brotherhood of players to don the red, white and blue at the World Juniors – and bond that stretches across generations. During the tournament, the American squad was personally visited by Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk for some special motivation and veteran advice.

Tkachuk captained Team USA in their gold medal win in the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship and earned bronze with Team USA in the 2018 World Juniors. The Scottsdale, Arizona native emphasized to the young players the pride goes into wearing the jersey and how these friendships will transcend the tournament.

“Hearing from Brady, it was really cool,” Eiserman said. “He told us that this is going to be one of the best moments of our lives, to play for Team USA in the World Juniors and be with this group of guys. He said he’s still friends with his teammates today, and I know I’m going to always be friends with the guys on my team this year.”

Team USA honored the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau throughout the tournament.
Johnny Gaudreau won gold with Team USA in 2013, and his jersey was proudly positioned in a stall in his honor. Every player in that locker room understood the deeper meaning behind this year’s showcase.

“To have Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey in the locker room, it was great,” Eiserman said. “We really played for him, played for Matthew as well and their family. We had them in our hearts. We played for a lot bigger than ourselves.”

With Eiserman and Nelson winning the gold for Team USA and Nurmi earning silver for Finland, the three Isles prospects are taking home more than a medal, they’re taking home an unforgettable experience that’ll stick with them throughout their careers.

“Getting to play at an NHL rink, it’s pretty nice there,” Nurmi said. “It’s a lifetime memory for sure and we’re going to remember this for a long time."

“I’m still reliving the memories, it doesn't necessarily feel real yet," Nelson said. "I'm still trying to take it in and realize how special of a moment it was for me and my teammates."

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