Brock Nelson discusses 4 Nations and his future with the NY Islanders on 32 Thoughts podcast

Brock Nelson will be the only NY Islanders player represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off set to begin tonight, but there's been no shortage of attention surrounding the 33-year-old forward.

Nelson, like his teammates, is transitioning to playing alongside players they may not be familiar with on the ice. Then there are the rivalries that grow over time during the regular season, with those players potentially now being your teammates. In a short tournament like this, those rivalries need to be set to the side and Nelson doesn't think that'll be an issue for the Star and Stripes come their first game against Finland tomorrow.

Brock Nelson on 32 Thoughts

"I feel like hockey is such a great game that when you're out there you're all competitors and warriors and different instances come up and you get at it," said Nelson on the 32 Thoughts Podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas. "[At the] End of the day, I think everyone is a good guy off the ice and that's what makes the sport so great and it's fun to be around these guys. I'm sure I've had a couple run-ins for sure with some of these guys. So hopefully I'm not one of those guys that people say me."

With each participating nation playing only three or four games, there was a short run-up to the start of the competition. Teams got together for the first time on Monday with play starting tonight. Practice on Monday was the first time all these players were on the ice at once, leaving some in awe.

"You just kind of look around and see the lineup, guys are shifted around, the line combinations, the D pairs and you're just like 'Wow, this is the best of the best.'" Nelson said. "Everything was crisp. Everything was fast. Everyone's in the right spot, making the right play. For a second there, every now and then you have to stop and take it all in but at the same time you have to go out there and have fun."