Rick Nash has been on the ice for the start of the NHL season since the 2002-03 campaign.
But once the puck dropped to signify the beginning of a new 82-game schedule, the winger was not in uniform after a concussion cut his regular season short with the Boston Bruins before the playoffs began.
The free-agent winger tallied five points in 12 playoff games before the B’s were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. His future has been up in the air all summer and still remains questionable nearly a week into the 2018-19 season.
The 34-year-old has not officially retired from the game and said he won’t make a decision until his body tells him what to do. According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, Nash wouldn’t describe his post-concussion symptoms, but did note they have yet to totally subside.
“I miss it. I love the game,” Nash told Portzline. “The game has been my whole life, so it’s been a hard adjustment to not show up for training camp, for fitness testing … it’s been really tough.
“There’s a chance I could get healthy, come back and be great. But there’s definitely a chance that I don’t.”
The 15-year veteran has played in 1,060 regular games, totaling 437 goals and 368 assists. And while there’s no timetable on if he makes his return to the NHL, he certainly has made an impact for the teams he’s played for.
