Look through the Columbus Blue Jackets’ record books, Rick Nash leads just about every major category for skaters. It only makes sense, then, that Rick Nash became the first Blue Jackets player to have his number (61) retired.
Watch the video above to see the Blue Jackets raise Nash’s 61 jersey to the rafters.
Blue Jackets retire Rick Nash’s jersey number 61
Ponder some of the Blue Jackets records held by Nash:
- Most goals: 289. Cam Atkinson (213) is the only other CBJ player to reach 200+ goals.
- Most assists: 258. David Vyborny (204) is the only other Blue Jacket with at least 200 assists.
- With 547 career points, Rick Nash easily leads the Blue Jackets in that category. Cam Atkinson is the only other player above 400 (402), while Nick Foligno (334) and Vyborny (317) are the only others who reached at least 300. Expect current Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to reach 300 fairly soon (he’s at 283).
Nash scored those 289 goals and 547 points over nine seasons (674 games). Despite the team’s frequent struggles, Nash remains the only first overall pick in franchise history.
After a June 2012 trade, Nash joined the Rangers. He suited up for the Rangers for six seasons, then was traded to the Bruins during the 2017-18 season. After appearing in a single series where the Blue Jackets were swept, Nash played 73 playoff games with the Rangers and 12 with the Bruins.
It wouldn’t be shocking if some Blue Jackets fans -- maybe many? -- still carried some hurt feelings regarding the end of Rick Nash’s tenure with the team. Time tends to heal those wounds, and there’s no denying that he was integral to the franchise for almost a decade.
Really, it’s fair to wonder if any other Blue Jackets player would warrant a jersey retirement. Perhaps Sergei Bobrovsky, who managed to win two Vezina Trophies during his seven seasons with Columbus?
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.