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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCEJanuary 8, 2009Rick NashDAVID KEON: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm David Keon with the National Hockey League's public relations department and I'd like to welcome you to today's call. With us today we have Columbus Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash. Thanks to Rick for joining us today to answer your questions and thanks to Todd Sharrock of the Blue Jackets public relations department for setting up the call. Last week's First Star of the Week, Rick yesterday was named to the Western Conference roster for the 57th NHL All-Star Game, which will be played Sunday, January 25th, in Montréal, at 6 p.m. eastern time on CBC, RDS, Versus and NHL Radio. He will be making his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance, and last year set an All-Star Game record in Atlanta, scoring just 12 seconds into the game in which he went on to tally a hat trick in an 8-7 lost to the Eastern Conference. Selected first overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, the 24-year-old left winger leads Columbus in goals with 17, assists with 22, and points with 39, and also in game-winning goals with 4, and shots-on-goal with 130. Thanks again to Rick for taking time to join us and answer your questions. We'll open it up for questions now. Q. What defenseman, past or present, has presented you with your biggest challenge? RICK NASH: I'm going to say Chris Pronger. Pretty tough guy to play against. Adam Foote has been really tough. It was nice when we had him on our team. You know, usually the bigger, stronger guys are usually the guys I find tough to play against. Q. Beyond the numbers, can you describe the effect that Steve Mason has had on the Blue Jackets' confidence this season. RICK NASH: Yeah, I mean, he's been great. He's such a solid goalie. He looks like a 10-year veteran back there. He's calm. He's confident. When your goalie plays that way and gives you a chance to win every night, confidence just runs through the team. Q. I just read you may not play this weekend. I know you don't want to divulge what the injury is, but can you kind of go through what happened, how you're feeling, and if you have a timetable for yourself. RICK NASH: Yeah, just went awkward into the boards in Detroit there. Right now it's day to day. Today was a good day. Feeling good. It's just one of those things where you don't want to come back for one game and then miss another week. So we're just going to take it a little slow and hopefully after the weekend, early next week, I'll be back at it. Q. Did you think you were going to miss time? RICK NASH: Initially, no. I was ready to go back on the ice. Then I saw the doctors. You know, they recommended I just sit it out. Q. Last year you had a hat trick in a game, scored 12 seconds into the game in the All-Star Game, Eric Staal got the MVP. Are you still a little bitter about that? Are you going for the MVP this year? RICK NASH: I don't know. Maybe I'm not going to try and maybe I will. Doesn't the media pick that? You'd have to ask all them. You know, I don't know. I don't know, it is what it is. Not a big deal. It's only the All-Star Game, you know. Q. The question was asked before about Mason. Has he enabled, do you think, the defensemen on the team to feel confident and comfortable, too, that maybe they're playing better as a result? RICK NASH: Yeah. I mean, one thing I notice with him is he's unbelievable at playing the puck. He's actually a big guy and he's really good. I think that helps out a lot with the defensemen. You know, just knowing that he's so solid back there, he's so confident in his game, he's so calm, I think it makes everyone around him, the defensemen that he's closest to, play the same way. Q. Do you think he could have been an All-Star or could still be if Luongo isn't healthy enough to go? RICK NASH: Yeah. I mean, I think he's got the numbers. He's played well enough. You know, in saying that, he's still only 20 or 21 years old. He's going to be playing tons to come. I wouldn't worry about it if I were him. Q. With your injury, how painful was it when you went into the boards? There was no noticeable limp or anything like that, but it is in the lower body area. RICK NASH: Yeah, I mean, it's not too painful. It gets stiff mornings. Just like any injury, you get it warmed up, it feels better. It's just something where the doctors don't want me to go out and make it worse. Right now they just want to make sure everything's all right. Q. Think you could play, if you had to? If you were in a playoff stretch, could you play? RICK NASH: I mean, I would probably play with broken bones. I'm sure guys have. I think anyone would say that if it was in a do-or-die situation, which we are kind of in to make the playoffs. I'm not going to go against the doctors' judgment. They're the professionals. Once they say I'm good to go, I'll go. Q. Is it a different feeling right now in Columbus; there's that feeling of hope for the second half of the season amongst the fans, the city, the guys in the room, that you're right there, and this is actually really possible? RICK NASH: Yeah, I mean, it's really felt like that for the first time. Every time we've always had a chance. This time we're here. Coming into the middle of January, we're three points out. So, I mean, next couple weeks are pretty big for us. These next seven games before the All-Star break, it's going to dictate where we stand going into that break. We've got a chance to win every single night. I think that's all you can ask from a team. We know we have it now. Q. You assumed the captaincy late last season. This is essentially your first full season with it. I'm wondering how that has changed things for you, if it has at all, so far this year? RICK NASH: I mean, there's more responsibilities, making sure everyone shows up to play. I think a lot more eyes are on you. In saying that, I didn't really want to change the player I was or the person I was 'cause that's what got me there. Q. Do you speak up more in the dressing room or anything like that? RICK NASH: I don't know. Most of the guys knew me before I was the captain. I think if I get the 'C' on my jersey, I stand up, start yelling, screaming, calling guys out, things like that, it's not going to be real. In saying that, I know that is my job now. I look at myself to lead by example on the ice. If something does need to be said, I'll stand up and say it. Q. I know you are asked every year about the playoffs obviously in Columbus, so it's not new for you. Do you get the sense that this year is different somehow from the previous years in terms of the team's chances? RICK NASH: Yeah, I mean, it does feel different. We go into any building now, we got a chance to win. Before, you go into places like Detroit, San Jose, Colorado, we just kind of felt like we couldn't pull it together. But now we got the depth on the team. If we can all get healthy, I think we've got a better chance. Q. Is that depth being tested now with some of the injuries you have gone through? You're missing a bunch of guys that have contributed for you offensively this year. RICK NASH: Yeah, I think we're missing seven or eight regulars. We got a couple of guys that are obviously banged up. I'm sure every team has them as well. This is a chance for the young guys to step up, our depth from Syracuse to show up, and this is where we need them most. Q. Going back to the last All-Star Game, you were a little PC about it. Were you a little shocked you didn't get the MVP last year? RICK NASH: I don't know. I think the year before I had two points and I think someone else had four points, our team won, and the losing team guy got it. I think last year they said the reason I didn't get it was because my team lost. It was kind of confusing. It is what it is. I didn't lose any sleep over it. The media picks it. That's what they thought. Q. I know probably for you it would maybe be a little bit different if the game were in Toronto instead of Montréal. But Montréal is such a hotbed. It's a huge celebration for the Montréal Canadiens, for the city. What do you think that All-Star weekend is going to be like? Not to disparage anything against Atlanta, but Montréal is a different place in terms of hockey. Do you think it's going to be one of those special, memorable weekends? RICK NASH: Sure. I think it's going to be crazy. Every All-Star Game I've been to has been crazy. Minnesota was my first one, and it was pretty nice. But going to a Canadian city where hockey is pretty much religion and life, it's going to be unbelievable with all the celebrations, the hundred years, things like that. It's going to be definitely a special weekend. I think the city's going to be packed. DAVID KEON: Thanks very much, Rick, for your time today. RICK NASH: Sounds good, Dave. Thank you. DAVID KEON: We'll see you in Montréal. RICK NASH: See you in Montréal. End of FastScripts |
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