Rick Nash Rick Nash ( born June 16 , 1984 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) by the Blue Jackets first overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft , Nash played with the London Knights for two seasons , earning the Emms Family Award in 2001 as league rookie of the year . He began his NHL career with Columbus the season immediately following his draft and was nominated for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year . In his second NHL season , Nash scored a career - high 41 goals to tie with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Rocket Richard Trophy as league goal - scoring champion . Nash is also a four - time NHL All - Star and has been awarded the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2009 for his work in the community . Internationally , Nash has represented Team Canada extensively . He won a silver medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships , two World Championships silver medals , a gold at the 2007 World Championships and a gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics . He has also competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin . Background . Nash was raised in Brampton , Ontario where he attended Brampton Centennial Secondary School . Playing career . A London Knight for two seasons in the OHL , Rick Nash began his major junior career with 66 points in his first year , receiving the Emms Family Award as the league ' s top rookie . The following season , he amassed 72 points in 54 games and was subsequently was selected 1st overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets . Joining the Blue Jackets immediately after his draft year in 2002 – 03 , Nash debuted on October 10 , 2002 and scored a goal in a 2 - 1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks . He was the eighth No . 1 overall pick to score a goal in their first game and the first to do so in his draft year since Mario Lemieux in 1984 . That season , Nash was nominated for the Calder Trophy , as the NHL ' s best rookie , but lost to defenceman Barret Jackman of the St . Louis Blues . He would , however , join Jackman on the NHL All - Rookie Team . In Nash ' s sophomore campaign , he improved his rookie goal total from 17 to 41 , a career high that tied Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals in the league . At 19 years of age , Nash was the youngest player in history to lead the league in goals . Recording 16 assists , Nash finished the year with 57 points . During the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Nash played for HC Davos of the Swiss Nationalliga A ( NLA ) . He scored 26 goals and 46 points in 44 games and added 11 more points ( 9 goals , 2 assists ) in 15 games in the NLA playoffs . Joined by fellow NHL - er Joe Thornton , Davos went on to win the Swiss Championship , as well as the 2004 Spengler Cup . With the NHL set to resume play in 2005 – 06 , the Blue Jackets re - signed Nash to a five - year , $ 27 million contract . The deal saw his annual salary increase each year with $ 3 . 5 million the first season and $ 7 million in the last season of the contract for a $ 5 . 4 million average salary . However , knee and ankle injuries sidelined Nash for much of the first half of the season . Missing 28 games total , Nash was still named to Team Canada for the 2006 Olympics , shortly after being activated from the injured reserve . Upon returning from a seventh place finish in Turin , Nash completed the season at a point - per - game pace with 54 points in 54 games . In 2006 – 07 , Nash matched his sophomore points total with 57 , and was named to the Western Conference All - Star Team for the second time in his career . He has been Columbus ' lone representative both times . Nash scored the game - winning goal in the West win . The following season , on January 17 , 2008 , Nash scored what many commentators called the " goal of the year " in the final minute versus the Phoenix Coyotes . Breaking a tied score , Nash deked around two defenders and the goaltender to score the eventual game - winner . Later , at the end of the season , the goal was nominated for an ESPY Award in the category of Best Play . Selected to his third All - Star Game in 2008 that season , Nash scored the quickest goal in All - Star Game history , just 12 seconds in and ended the game with a hat trick . Completing the season with 38 goals and 69 points , Nash nearly matched his personal best goals total and set a career high for points and assists . Shortly before the end of the season , on March 12 , 2008 , Nash was also named the fifth captain in Blue Jackets history , replacing the recently traded Adam Foote . In the off - season , in May 2008 , Nash was named the cover athlete and spokesman for NHL 2K9 . Going into the 2008 – 09 campaign , the Blue Jackets had gone without a playoff appearance in franchise history . Led by the newly - appointed captain Nash and bolstered by rookie goaltender Steve Mason , the Blue Jackets finished the season as the seventh seed in the Western Conference to earn a post - season berth against division - rival the Detroit Red Wings . The series was preceded by an 8 – 2 rout over the Red Wings on March 7 , 2009 , a game in which Nash scored three unassisted goals . According to the " Columbus Dispatch " , citing the Elias Sports Bureau , the last player to score three goals unassisted was Maurice " Rocket " Richard ( who scored four ) against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 14 , 1948 . Despite the convincing victory late in the season the Blue Jackets lost in four games . In addition to leading the Blue Jackets to the playoffs , Nash had a career season with 79 points , in addition to scoring 40 goals for the first time since 2003 – 04 . In the off - season , on July 3 , 2009 , Nash signed an eight - year contract extension with the Blue Jackets worth $ 62 . 4 million set to take effect in 2010 – 11 . International play . In Nash ' s second junior season , he was chosen to play for Team Canada ' s junior squad in the 2002 World Junior Championships , scoring 3 points in a silver medal effort . Nash would make his senior international debut for Team Canada at the 2005 World Championship , leading the tournament in goals while earning his second silver medal . In 2006 , shortly after returning from an injury , he was selected to play on Team Canada ' s Olympic team , but managed just one point in a disappointing seventh place finish . The following year , Nash captured his first gold medal with Team Canada at the 2007 World Championship in a 4 - 2 victory over Finland in Moscow . Scoring two goals in the gold medal game against Finland and 11 points total , Nash was named to the tournament All - Star Team and earned MVP honours . Nash appeared in his third World Championship in 2008 , but failed to repeat as gold medal champion with Canada , earning silver . In the championship game against Russia , Nash attempted to clear the puck in overtime , but accidentally shot it over the glass , resulting a delay of game penalty . On the powerplay , Russia capitalized , defeating Canada 5 - 4 . Despite his misplay , Nash was named to the tournament All - Star Team for the second consecutive year , finishing with 13 points . On December 30 , 2009 , Nash was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . After starting the tournament on Sidney Crosby ' s wing , he was switched to a line with Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews , who was named Best Forward . Nash earned his first Olympic medal in the tournament as Team Canada went on to win gold . Nash was named captain of Team Canada for the 2011 IIHF World Championship . Canada finished fifth in the tournament . Awards . OHL CHL NHL NLA International Other