HANOVER, N.H. - Dartmouth men's hockey head coach Bob Gaudet announced Monday afternoon the addition of 10-year old Caleb Nelson as the newest member of the 2012-13 Big Green.

A native of Rygate, Vt., Nelson made the trip to Thompson Arena on Monday to meet with his new teammates and coaches. Once in Hanover, Nelson was given his own locker and assigned his jersey number for his stint with the Green and White.

Meeting with equipment manager Brian Corcoran during the visit, Nelson chose No. 34, a number only he will wear while a member of the team.

Joining Caleb in his trip to his new home arena was his mother Heather, as well as sisters Devyn (12) and Kacie (6).

A formal welcome from team captain Mike Keenan as well as a tour of his new home rink from Gaudet marked Caleb's first official duties as a member of the Dartmouth men's hockey team.

After the introduction in the locker room, the Big Green and its newest member made their way to Smoyer Lounge for a team meal of pizza.

"I could not be more pleased to add a young man of such high character to this program," Gaudet said of his latest roster move. "When presented with the opportunity to add a person like Caleb to our roster, mid-season or not, we had to jump at the chance to do so.

"I am really excited that Caleb accepted our offer to join the Dartmouth men's hockey family for not only this year, but also for years to come."

Maturity and selflessness are two of Caleb's most valued traits that Gaudet hopes will carry over to his role with the Big Green.

Founder of 'Caleb Dreams of Ice Cream', Nelson created a program in cooperation with the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD) that allows for young patients the choice of 26 flavors from his favorite local ice cream parlor. He claims the program was created as a means to give hospitalized kids something positive to look forward to while receiving treatment.

Both a basketball player and drummer, Nelson's vast skill-set will be a welcome addition to this year's team as they head for the stretch run and postseason play.

Nelson's first scheduled appearance with the Big Green is set for Saturday night when his team plays host to Clarkson at 7 p.m.

Caleb's connection with the Dartmouth men's hockey team has been made possible through Team IMPACT. The organization's goal is to enhance the lives of children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses by matching them with college athletic teams. To learn more about Team IMPACT, please visit: http://www.goteamimpact.org/.