Rick Nash | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Brampton, Ontario, Canada | June 16, 1984||
Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
Weight | 219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb) | ||
Position | Left wing | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Columbus Blue Jackets HC Davos New York Rangers Boston Bruins | ||
National team | Canada | ||
NHL draft |
1st overall, 2002 Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
Playing career | 2002–2018 |
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.
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 five-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, points, and games played. Widely considered the greatest Blue Jackets player of all time, Nash's number 61 was retired by the franchise in 2022.[1]
Internationally, Nash has represented Team Canada, with whom he has won one gold and two silver medals at the World Championships, and two gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014. Additionally, he has represented Canada at the 2002 World Junior Championships, helping the team to a silver medal, and also competed for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.