Rick Nash knows there will be boos this weekend when he represents the New York Rangers in the Skills Competition on Saturday and in the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday. “It’s awkward, but it’ll definitely be worth it,” Nash said. “I love that city. I still have a lot of friends there, and I know how much it means to the city and the organization to have the entire hockey world there.
And the tranquility isn’t about the career season he’s having with the Rangers. Nash is a first-time father — he and his wife, Jessica, welcomed a son, McLaren, three months ago in Manhattan.
“It changes your life; it changes your perspective,” he said. “I remember older players telling me that, and now I know what they mean. You see yourself in a different way. You see your place in the world as being a little bit different.
“I’ve done a lot of cool things in my life — I know I’m really fortunate — but this is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. There’s nothing that can top having a family.”
Nash, 30, said he keeps his family and hockey “totally separate.” He discounts the notion that fatherhood has made him grow up in all facets.
“No,” he said. “I try to be a good father when I’m home, and a good hockey player when I’m at the rink. For me, it’s pretty simple.”