After 15 seasons in the NHL, two Olympic gold medals and one World Championship, Rick Nash has called it a career.
As TSN's Darren Dreger reported Friday, the longtime Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers star has announced his retirement via Top Shelf Sports Management, citing "unresolved issues" from a concussion sustained in March 2018.
"Due to unresolved issues/symptoms from the concussion sustained last March," Top Shelf's Joe Resnick told Dreger, "Rick Nash will be forced to retire from the game of hockey. Under the advice of his medical team, the risk of further brain injury is far too great if Rick returns to play. Rick would like to thank everyone who has supported him during this difficult time period."
Acquired by the Boston Bruins the day before the 2017-18 trade deadline, the 34-year-old Nash returned to the ice after his concussion in 2018, appearing in 12 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But he also suffered multiple concussions earlier in his career while with the Rangers and is just the latest to join a growing list of big names who retired due to head injuries.
Before finishing his career with the Bruins, Nash was a household name in both Columbus and New York. Originally drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League in 2002, he made his NHL debut that same season and compiled eight 30-goal seasons, including a 41-goal sophomore campaign and career-best 42-goal season in 2014-15 with the Rangers. A six-time All-Star honoree, he ended up playing 15 years between the Blue Jackets and Rangers, who landed him in a blockbuster trade entering the 2012-13 season. He retires with 1,060 career games played, 437 goals, 805 points and 73 game-winning shots.
Outside of the NHL, Nash was also a prominent international scorer, helping Team Canada capture Olympic gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games and 2014 Sochi Games, while winning three World Championships medals. A captain for Canada at the 2011 World Championships, he earned a silver medal in 2005, a gold in 2007 and another silver in 2008.
