Riley Nash

Riley Nash (born May 9, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, 21st overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and has also played in the NHL for the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins.

Riley Nash
Nash with the Boston Bruins in 2017
Born	May 9, 1989 Consort, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	173 lb (78 kg; 12 st 5 lb)
Position	Centre/Wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Columbus Blue Jackets Carolina Hurricanes Boston Bruins
NHL Draft	21st overall, 2007 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	2010–present

Early life

Nash was born in Consort, Alberta, but raised in Kamloops, British Columbia.[1]

Playing career

Amateur

In his first full Junior A season in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in 2006–07, Nash scored 84 points in 55 games to finish as the Silverbacks' top scorer, rookie of the year and the team's most valuable player (MVP). Although he was drafted 21st overall by the Edmonton Oilers at the end of the season at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, he opted against immediately signing with the team.

Instead, Nash went on to play college ice hockey at Cornell University of the NCAA's ECAC conference, where he was a linemate of future NHLer Colin Greening. As was the case at Salmon Arm, Nash played at Cornell with his older brother Brendon, a defenceman. In his freshman year with the Big Red, Nash was selected as the Cornell University Hockey Rookie of the Year and to the 2007–08 College Hockey News All-Rookie Team.

Professional

On June 26, 2010, Nash was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for the 46th pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Nearly one month later, on July 19, Nash signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Hurricanes, forgoing his final year of eligibility at Cornell.[2] On December 23, 2011, Nash recorded his first career NHL point on an assist on Andreas Nödl's goal against the Ottawa Senators, and he later scored his first career NHL goal against the Florida Panthers on March 2, 2013.

After six seasons with the Hurricanes organization, Nash left as a free agent to sign a two-year contract with the Boston Bruins on July 1, 2016.[3] In the 2017–18 season, Nash enjoyed a breakout season in establishing new career highs with 15 goals, 26 assists and 41 points in 76 regular season games.

As a free agent, Nash left the Bruins and signed a three-year, $8.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 1, 2018.[4]

Personal life

Riley's brother, Brendon Nash, played for the Montreal Canadiens and the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are of no relation to Rick Nash, although Riley and Rick both played for the Boston Bruins during the 2017–18 season. Nash and his wife Clare welcomed their first child a boy named Rhett on Febuary 2, 2021.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004–05	Thompson Blazers AAA	Midget		26	22	21	43	28		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Thompson Blazers AAA	Midget		31	29	31	60	100		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL		55	38	46	84	87		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Cornell University	ECAC		36	12	20	32	28		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Cornell University	ECAC		36	13	22	35	34		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Cornell University	ECAC		30	12	24	36	39		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Charlotte Checkers	AHL		79	14	18	32	26		16	1	3	4	16
2011–12	Charlotte Checkers	AHL		58	8	12	20	26		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		5	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Charlotte Checkers	AHL		51	13	24	37	20		5	1	2	3	0
2012–13	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		32	4	5	9	8		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		73	10	14	24	29		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		68	8	17	25	12		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		64	9	13	22	18		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Boston Bruins	NHL		81	7	10	17	14		6	0	2	2	2
2017–18	Boston Bruins	NHL		76	15	26	41	18		9	0	1	1	4
2018–19	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		78	3	9	12	19		7	1	2	3	4
2019–20	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		64	5	9	14	10		10	1	1	2	0
NHL totals				541	61	104	165	130		32	2	6	8	10

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006	Canada Pacific	U17		6	0	3	3	0

Awards and honours

Award	Year
BCHL
Interior Conference Rookie of the Year	2006–07
College
All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team	2007–08
ECAC Rookie of the Year	2007–08
Ivy League Hockey Rookie of the Year	2007–08
All-ECAC Hockey First Team	2008–09
All-ECAC Hockey Third Team	2009–10
ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team	2010	[5]

References

1. "Nash has Carolina and Cornell on his mind". kamloopsnews.ca. November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
2. "Hurricanes sign Riley Nash to three-year deal". National Hockey League. July 19, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
3. "Bruins sign six players". Boston Bruins. July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
4. "Columbus Blue Jackets sign center Riley Nash". Columbus Blue Jackets. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
5. "All-Tournament Honors" (PDF). ECAC Hockey. Retrieved May 12, 2014.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database