Rick Nash

The greatest Blue Jacket of all time, Rick Nash led Columbus in goals and points, won the Rocket Richard Trophy, and had his number 61 retired by the franchise.

Richard Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected first overall in the 2002 NHL entry draft by Columbus, he played 15 seasons in the NHL for the Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, and was selected to play in six National Hockey League All-Star Games.

Quick Facts

Born

16 June 1984

Birthplace

Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Position

Left wing

Shoots

Left

Played for

Columbus Blue Jackets
HC Davos
New York Rangers
Boston Bruins

Draft

1st overall

Drafted by

Columbus Blue Jackets

Lore & Background

Prior to turning professional, Nash was a highly regarded prospect with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he spent two seasons, earning the Emms Family Award in 2001 as the League's Rookie of the Year. He began his NHL career with the Blue Jackets immediately following his draft, in 2002–03, and was nominated for the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. In his second NHL season, Nash scored 41 goals to tie with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk as winners of the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal-scorer. Nash is a six-time NHL All-Star and was also awarded the NHL Foundation Player Award in the 2008–09 season for his charitable work in the Columbus community. He is the Blue Jackets franchise career leader in goals and points. Widely considered the greatest Blue Jackets player of all time, Nash's number 61 was retired by the franchise in 2022.

Reader's Guide

Nash was raised in Brampton, Ontario, where he attended Brampton Centennial Secondary School. He played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), where he caught the attention of OHL scouts in 1999. He played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Marlboros minor ice hockey team. As a member of the London Knights for two seasons in the OHL, Nash began his major junior career with 66 points in his first year, receiving the Emms Family Award as the League's top rookie. The following season, he amassed 72 points in 54 games and was subsequently selected first overall in the 2002 NHL entry draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joining the Blue Jackets in 2002–03, Nash debuted on October 10, 2002, and scored a goal in a 2–1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He was the eighth number one overall pick to score a goal in his first game and the first to do so in his draft year since Mario Lemieux in 1984. That season, Nash was nominated for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, but lost to defenseman Barret Jackman of the St. Louis Blues. He would, however, join Jackman on the NHL All-Rookie Team. In Nash's sophomore campaign, he improved his rookie goal total from 17 to 41, a career-high that tied Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy for most goals in the League. At 19 years of age, Nash was the youngest player in history to lead the League in goals. Recording 16 assists, Nash finished the year with 57 points. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Nash played for HC Davos of the Swiss Nationalliga A (NLA). He scored 26 goals and 46 points in 44 games and added 11 more points (nine goals and two assists) in 15 games in the NLA playoffs. Joined by fellow NHL-er Joe Thornton, Davos went on to win the Swiss Championship, as well as the 2004 Spengler Cup. With the NHL set to resume play in 2005–06, the Blue Jackets re-signed Nash to a five-year, $27 million contract. Knee and ankle injuries sidelined Nash for much of the first half of the season. Missing 28 games total, Nash was still named to Team Canada for the 2006 Olympics, shortly after being activated from the injured reserve. Upon returning from a disappointing seventh-place finish in Turin, Nash completed the season at a point-per-game pace with 54 points in 54 games.

Franchise Icon and Statistical Legacy

Richard Nash is the Columbus Blue Jackets' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played. Drafted first overall in 2002, he was nominated for the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in his debut season (2002–03) and joined the NHL All-Rookie Team. In his second season, at age 19, he scored 41 goals to tie Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal-scorer, becoming the youngest player in history to lead the League in goals. He was named the team's fifth captain on March 12, 2008, replacing Adam Foote. Under his leadership, the Blue Jackets earned their first-ever playoff berth in 2009 as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Nash received the NHL Foundation Player Award in the 2008–09 season for his charitable work in the Columbus community.

International Glory with Team Canada

Rick Nash represented Team Canada at multiple international tournaments. He competed at the 2002 World Junior Championships, helping the team win a silver medal. He also played for Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and won two gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014. Additionally, he earned one gold and two silver medals at the World Championships.

Defining Moments and Historic Plays

On October 10, 2002, Nash scored a goal in his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks, becoming the eighth number-one overall pick to score in their first game. On January 17, 2008, he scored a game-winning goal against the Phoenix Coyotes in the final minute by deking around two defenders and the goaltender; this play was nominated for an ESPY Award for Best Play. In the 2008 All-Star Game, Nash scored the quickest goal in history at just 12 seconds and finished with a hat-trick. On March 7, 2009, he scored three unassisted goals against the Detroit Red Wings, a feat not seen since Maurice Richard in 1948.

Early Development and Professional Transition

Nash played two seasons with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), earning the Emms Family Award as Rookie of the Year in 2001. He recorded 66 points in his first OHL season and 72 points in 54 games during his second. Following his draft, he signed a lucrative rookie contract with Columbus valued at $1.2 million USD per season plus bonuses ranging from $8 to $12 million. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Nash played for HC Davos in the Swiss Nationalliga A (NLA), scoring 26 goals and 46 points in 44 games. He helped Davos win the Swiss Championship and the 2004 Spengler Cup.