COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets' all-time leading scorer will be the first player in the club's history to have his number retired next year.
Rick Nash, who leads Columbus in games played, goals, assists and points will have his number 61 raised to the rafters at Nationwide Arena on March 5.
From 2002 to 2012, Nash scored 289 goals and tallied 258 assists for 547 points during his time with the Blue Jackets.
The Ontario native was a five-time All-Star over nine seasons with Columbus.
“Rick Nash was the face of our franchise and our best player for a decade and represented our club on and off the ice with excellence, class and humility,” said Blue Jackets Majority Owner John McConnell. “No one is more deserving of this honor than he and we are looking forward to celebrating Rick and his family in what will be a historic and memorable night for all of us on March 5th."
Nash was the Blue Jackets' first overall selection in the 2002 NHL Draft after getting the top pick from the Florida Panthers.
In 2003, Nash became the youngest player in NHL history to lead the league in scoring.
Nash played a total of 1,060 career games, scoring 437 goals, tallying 368 assists for 805 points.
Nash was traded to the New York Rangers in 2012 where he played for six seasons. He played his final season in 2017 with the Boston Bruins.
Currently, Nash is the Blue Jackets' director of player development.
