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RICH NASH - Sept. 5, 2022 – Vol. 76, Issue 3 -Brian Hedger

The Hockey News: It’s been a while now, but is it still a bit surreal to see your name and number hanging from the rafters at Nationwide Arena?

RICK NASH: I don’t know if it’ll ever be normal, to be honest. Every time I walk in the rink, it’s hard not to look up there and see it. It’s just such an honor to be up there, and I don’t know if it’ll ever get old or if I’ll have that feeling forever, but it hasn’t changed at all. It’s hard to walk in and keep my eyes away from it.

THN: Thinking back to that night last season, how special was it, and where does that rank in your career?

RN: It’s right at the top. To think that you achieve winning a gold medal in the Olympics or getting to the Stanley Cup final and coming close…I feel like a retired number is a little different. It’s a huge honor. When I reflect back on that night, I think about how good of a job the organization did of putting it all together and making sure it all worked out smoothly. But as for ranking it in my career, it’s right at the top for sure.

THN: How nice was it to see all those familiar faces who returned for that night?

RN: I thought it was great. It was really good to see Doug MacLean. Doug kind of set his roots down here and started this whole thing with the Blue Jackets, and it’s important. As this organization grows and the history gets richer, it’s important that we remember the people that were here at the beginning, and I thought it was a great way to bring Doug back. And Ken Hitchcock, obviously, being the first coach to take the Jackets to the playoffs, it was great to have him, too. Those are two very important people in my career, and they kind of rounded out the night, which made it even more special.

THN: Which was a bigger goal for you as a Blue Jacket, the one in Phoenix where you deked about four guys before scoring a late winner or the one in Chicago that clinched the Jackets’ first playoff berth?

RN: You know what’s funny is that people still bring up that Phoenix goal to me at least once a month. I’ll run into someone, and they’ll bring up that goal. And I think that’s all people remember, kind of the highlight of my career.

It was a great goal, and a lot of things went right, but the one in Chicago in 2008 at the United Center was my most meaningful goal as a Blue Jacket. It was to tie it up late in the game, and all we needed was one point to clinch the first playoff berth ever for Columbus. And that, by far, was my favorite goal as a Blue Jacket. It was probably one of my ugliest goals as a Blue Jacket (laughs), but it was the one that meant the most to me, and I feel like it meant the most to our fan base, too.

THN: You also looked skyward after that one to commemorate John H. McConnell, the Jackets’ first owner, right?

RN: Yeah, I looked up to the sky. I felt like it was such a weird and awkward goal that he had to have his hand in it, to help it over the line. I wish ‘Mr. Mac’ was around for that, to get the experience of playoff hockey, but I think he was watching and helping us achieve our goal that year to have a good season and help us get into the playoffs.

"It was probably one of my ugliest goals as a Blue Jacket, but it was one that meant the most to me."

Columbus Sign Dmitri Voronkov; Avoids Arbitration The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they've signed hulking forward Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year, $8.35 million contract, avoiding arbitration. 

THN: Looking back, after MacLean traded up to draft you No. 1 overall in 2002, how tough was it to be the face of a franchise that struggled as much as the Blue Jackets did?

RN: It wasn’t easy. You kind of hope that things are going to get built around you, and you’re going to be that leader and the face of the franchise. Things keep changing, people on the bench keep changing, it gets frustrating. You try to stick with it and try to be a big part of the plan, but certainly when those plans don’t pan out and trades don’t work out, it just gets even more frustrating. It’s tough. There were some really hard years that I saw in Columbus, not only for me but for our fan base, too.

THN: Were you aware of how much opposing fans wanted to see you play, even when the Blue Jackets were struggling?

RN: No, I honestly wasn’t. I was so caught up and focused on winning and helping the Jackets win. I never looked at myself as a player that you just described. But if that was the case with my career, then I’m truly honored. I remember going to Maple Leaf Gardens and I think I was watching a Stars-Leafs game and saying the same thing about Mike Modano, “I get to watch his jersey fly in the air,” so no matter what, I’m going. I never looked at myself that way, but if people did, I think that’s really cool.

THN: Had it not been for the concussion issues, would a return to Columbus have been in the cards to end your playing career?

RN: Yeah, for sure. I was going into unrestricted free agency for the first time in my career and there were some great options. To come full circle and come back to Columbus and play for the Jackets, it would’ve been a no-brainer for me personally. I never wanted to leave Columbus, but I wanted to win a Stanley Cup, and it was just not the right timing for my career and the organization. So, by the time I hit UFA status, the Jackets were really good. And the year I could’ve been on the team is when we beat Tampa in four games and went on to Boston, so I wish I’d still been playing, and if I had been playing, I would say there was a very good chance it would’ve been in a Blue Jackets uniform.

THN: If you could hop into a time machine and go back to the draft when the Blue Jackets got you, what would you tell your younger self about the journey ahead?

RN: I would probably tell him to have a little more fun and not take it so seriously. I think early on in my career, it weighed on me, being a young leader and somewhat of a face of the franchise that wasn’t having success. The turnover of players and coaches really weighed on me. Sometimes, I forgot about how fun the game of hockey actually is. Once that came back, it was a different time in my career. So, I look back now, and everybody always tells you to enjoy it because it goes fast. And I wish that in the early years, I could’ve just taken in more and just, on a personal level, had a little more fun with it.

THN: If you could be a part of getting the Blue Jackets back into the playoffs and make a run at or even win the Cup, how special would that be in this new stage of your career?

RN: It would mean everything to me. I don’t have another opportunity to win the Cup with skates on, so this is it. So, I can promise you, I’m doing everything from a development standpoint to get these guys to win a Cup. It’s a huge downer on my career that I didn’t get my name on that thing, even though I’m happy I came close. But this is it, man. This is my avenue to get to touch that Stanley Cup. I’ve never touched it in my life, so this is my opportunity. Your question was, “How special would it be?” It would mean everything to me. 

Cleveland Monsters Mark Letestu Gets Head Coaching Job With AHLs Colorado Eagles The Columbus Blue Jackets organization has lost another coach to the Colorado organization. 

Former Blue Jackets Forward Returns To The Team That Drafted Him Former Blue Jackets and Monsters forward Joseph LaBate has signed a deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The deal is a one-year, two-way deal that will carry an AAV of $775k. 

Former Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Retires At 28 Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Christian Fischer has announced his retirement from professional hockey at the age of 28.

Monsters Defenseman Madison Bowey Is Headed Overseas Cleveland Monsters defenseman Madison Bowey is headed to Germany to play for the  Augsburger Panther of the DEL on a one-year contract. The team plays in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Matiss Kivlenieks Passed Away Four Years Ago Today, And Will Always Be Remembered The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost two players and a fan since 2000, simply tragic for a young franchise. But four years ago, the July 4th holiday in Columbus took a terrible turn when, on July 5th, the worst happened to a promising young goalie named Matiss Kivlenieks.