Rick Nash

Lore & Background

Nash was raised in Brampton, Ontario, and played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League. He played two seasons with the London Knights of the OHL, earning the Emms Family Award as the league's top rookie in 2001. He debuted in the NHL with the Blue Jackets in 2002–03, scoring a goal in his first game and earning a nomination for the Calder Trophy. In his second season, he scored 41 goals to tie for the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy, becoming the youngest player to lead the league in goals. During the 2004–05 lockout, he played for HC Davos in Switzerland, winning the Swiss Championship and the Spengler Cup. Nash was named captain of the Blue Jackets in 2008 and led the team to its first playoff appearance in 2009. He was traded to the New York Rangers in 2012 and later played for the Boston Bruins.

Reader's Guide

Rick Nash's legacy is defined by his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became the franchise's career leader in goals, points, and games played. He is widely considered the greatest Blue Jackets player of all time, and his number 61 was retired by the team in 2022. Nash's individual achievements include winning the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal-scorer in 2003–04 and receiving the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008–09 for his charitable work in Columbus. He was a six-time NHL All-Star and represented Canada internationally, winning gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014, as well as medals at the World Championships and World Junior Championships. After his playing career, Nash became the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Did You Know?

• Nash was the eighth number one overall pick to score a goal in his first NHL game and the first to do so in his draft year since Mario Lemieux in 1984.
• He scored the quickest goal in NHL All-Star Game history, just 12 seconds into the 2008 game, and finished with a hat-trick.
• Nash's first NHL contract was the most lucrative for an NHL rookie at the time, valued at $1.2 million per season plus bonuses.
• He scored three unassisted goals in a game against the Detroit Red Wings in March 2009, a feat not accomplished since Maurice Richard in 1948.