Nash big reason Blue Jackets, hockey have flourished in Columbus

When you think of the Columbus Blue Jackets, it's hard not to think of Rick Nash.

Nash was selected by the Blue Jackets No. 1 in the 2002 NHL Draft, and made his debut that season -- the third in Columbus’ history. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in goals (289), assists (258) and points (547), and is currently the only Blue Jackets player to have his number retired by the team.

Not bad for a kid from Brampton, Ontario.

"I remember everything kind of being new and the excitement level was still pretty high when I first came into town," he said. "Coming from a hockey town like Toronto, and growing up a Maple Leafs fan, and then getting drafted to Columbus, Ohio, it was different, but I loved it. I think the thing that I learned the fastest was that we were still trying to grow the game here, we still had to get fans in the seats and people behind the Blue Jackets and the minor hockey system going where in Toronto, it's a bit of a different situation."

About 23 years later, it's safe to say Nash was one of those responsible for making Columbus the hockey town it is today. There were 700 people playing minor hockey when hockey came to Columbus in 2000; today there are over 8,000.

And on Saturday, over 90,000 fans will pack Ohio Stadium in Columbus to watch the Blue Jackets played the Detroit Red Wings outdoors in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+, TVAS-D, FX-CA).

"We have one of the biggest men's leagues around in the U.S. It's a huge, huge hockey town now. And I do kind of honor that, that I was a small piece of it to having kids fall in love with hockey or even just be a hockey fan, not even only play it, but just be a fan and come to games," Nash said. "And it always has a soft spot in my heart when fans still come up to me to this day and say, 'You're the reason why I watch hockey, because we came to watch you once.'"

Nash was the first Blue Jackets player to win an individual award, getting the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2003-04 for tying for the League lead with 41 goals, and was captain from 2008-12.

It's no surprise he was also named to the Blue Jackets Quarter-Century First Team earlier this season.

"We were so lucky to get Rick Nash the player, but more lucky to get Rick Nash the person," Doug MacLean, the GM who drafted Nash, said at his number retirement in 2022. "We knew he was a talented guy, we knew he was a talented hockey player, but we sure didn't know how good a person he was. And he was a better person than he was a hockey player, and that's saying a lot."

Nash wasn't only a leader on the ice but in the community, quickly becoming someone that people looked up to.

"Growing up in Toronto, I would never think to cross paths with the Maple Leafs; these guys are big-time celebrities," Nash said. "Guys like Doug Gilmour and Wendell Clark and Mats Sundin, you would never see them out and about, but in Columbus, I think it was just getting the grasp that you had to put your face out there to grow the game.

"I don't take it lightly. I think a huge responsibility came with trying to grow the game in Columbus, and it is kind of one of my favorite feathers in the cap that I was able to at least have a little part in growing the game here."

Blue Jackets analyst Jody Shelley got to see Nash’s impact firsthand. He played with Columbus for seven seasons from 2001-08, including five with Nash.

"He was ready to be a pro," Shelley said. "And he just changed the whole dynamic of our team, because he was a No. 1 pick and superstar, but he came in as a great teammate, a humble guy. And I think he knew right away Columbus was a special place for him, because we had a real blue-collar group, and he fit in there, but also was that star for us."

Shortly after he announced his retirement from the NHL in 2019, Nash joined the Blue Jackets front office as a special assistant to the general manager. He was promoted to director of player development in 2021 and then to director of hockey operations in September 2024.

Over the past few years, Nash has helped the Blue Jackets draft forwards Adam Fantilli (No. 3, 2023) and Cayden Lindstrom (No. 4, 2024) and aided in the development of some of the team's other top prospects.

Columbus finished last in the Eastern Conference last season and 29th in the NHL standings. This season, they've been one of the surprise teams in the Metropolitan Division and are competing for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I think (coach) Dean Evason and the coaching staff are doing a great job. I think they're bringing a new energy, a new pace, a new accountability to the to the dressing room that I think guys wanted."

Zach Werenski, an alternate captain, has spent all nine of his NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets.

"I guess I really didn't realize how much weight his name carried around Columbus," Werenski said. "I knew of Rick Nash, I knew how good he was. I saw his highlights. But then when I get to Columbus and I see how many people know him, how many people love him there."

The Blue Jackets hosting an outdoor game in the city, at Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University, has been a long time coming. And players like Nash paved the way for it to happen.

"I think it's important for our fans and for the growth of hockey," Nash said. "I got to play in three outdoor games, two being at Yankee Stadium (2014), one being at Citi Field (2018). It's so much more than just a hockey game. It's a whole experience. The two points seem like it's going to be very important coming down the stretch. But it's more about the experience.

“You bring all your families and friends in, and the whole organization goes and it's just something that's really special. And I'm so happy for our players, but I'm also so happy for our fans that we're going to have this in Columbus, Ohio, at The Shoe."