When Cade Neilson was declared a member of the 2022 Great Britain world championship roster, a mixture of three reactions was prevalent online.
Who?
Ah, because his father is the assistant coach (nepotism).
It will be nice to see another young player given an opportunity.
Cade Neilson is a young man unperturbed by what others think of him, good or bad.
A vivacious character, Neilson has gelled into every situation in his young career to date.
The Ontario Hockey Academy, the Maritime Hockey League, playing for GB at the junior levels or most recently playing for Aberdeen Wings in South Dakota, Neilson became a much loved and revered figure.
By his coaches, teammates, personnel and fans alike.
His excellent work ethic, attitude and easy-going nature allowed him to gel immediately into Great Britain’s Men’s Senior team.
The four warm-up games against Denmark and Italy were an eye-opener for the rookie, but he found his feet playing against men for the first time.
There were glimpses of his talent against NHL players and confidence in possession that belied his age and experience.
It’s fair to say that nobody benefited more from the warm-up games than Cade Neilson.
He transferred those performances into the World Championships, growing in stature with each passing shift and game.
Neilson turned twenty-one during the tournament.
It was a coming of age for the centreman during a memorable world championship.
He was handed a top-six role within the team and power-play minutes. Not only did he thrive with the responsibility, he gave Head Coach Pete Russell no choice but to keep sending him over the bench.
By the time the final two games of the group stage came around, Neilson was an instrumental part of the team and a goto player.
He played six and three seconds short of nineteen minutes against Latvia and Austria respectively.
In the two most crucial games of the championships, Neilson recorded a pair of points (1G, 1A) against Latvia and followed that up with three points (1G, 2A) in the final outing against Austria.
Awarded the Great Britain Player of the Game against Austria, his final total of five points (2G, 3A) ensured he finished the tournament as GB’s leading scorer.
Neilson averaged 17:30 of ice-time per game, fifth-most amongst all GB forwards
With thirteen shots, he ranked fourth on the team, one of only four players to reach double figures.
To give Nelson’s achievement some clarity and respect, let’s compare him against his peers.
Amongst those aged 21 or younger, Neilson finished tenth in scoring, playing fewer games than all but one player in the top nine.
All of his peers represented nations that qualified for the quarter-finals.
Four of those players are 1st-7th overall selections in NHL Entry Drafts, another was a first-round pick and two others were selected inside the top 124.
The remaining two players are set to be selected inside the top five of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Neilson finished tied on points with Canadian forward Dawson Mercer, who had a terrific rookie NHL season.
Having never played a competitive game at the senior level, let alone internationally, what Nelson achieved in both performances and statistically, is staggering given his career path to date.
Great Britain may have been relegated, but in Cade Neilson, they have found another young and talented forward to help propel them back to the top echelon of world hockey.
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