COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Columbus Blue Jackets hockey legend Rick Nash’s jersey will now hang in the rafters at Nationwide Arena.
Nash’s number 61 jersey was retired during a ceremony ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Boston Bruins.
"This one means the most to me," Nash told 10TV's Dom Tiberi during a recent interview. "This one is gonna be up in the rafters forever."
Nash, who played for the Blue Jackets between 2002 to 2012, leads Columbus in games played, goals, assists and points. During his 10 years with the team, Nash scored 289 goals and tallied 258 assists for 547 points.
Nash served as the club’s captain from 2008 to 2012, representing the team at five All-Star games. Additionally, he won a Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award.
"For me, one of the first things that hit was thinking that my kids and their grandkids... and their grandkids are gonna come to Nationwide Arena and think, looking up and seeing 61 in the stands forever, and that's when it kind of hits home," said Nash.
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 before retiring the following year.
Ahead of his jersey retirement, a new episode of Blue Jackets Conversations aired featuring Nash. You can listen to that episode below.
"I'm truly honored and humbled by the whole thing," said Nash, adding, "I owe a lot to the Jackets fanbase. I truly hope that they know how big of a part they are in this number going up to the rafters."