Nash feels at home on, off ice

It’s a question that Riley Nash still gets asked, like a lot of other Blue Jackets.

In fact, it didn’t take long for the 30-yearold veteran to hear it after signing with the team on July 1, 2018 — after having played two seasons with the Boston Bruins.

“What’s it like playing for Torts?”

Nash cracks a smile about it now, more than halfway through his second season playing for the Jackets and fiery coach John Tortorella.

“That’s the one guy I get asked the most about in the summers,” said Nash, who learned a lot about his new coach and new city last season. “It’s quite funny, but he’s just an honest guy. He respects when you work hard, and when you don’t, you’re gonna hear about it. I mean, as a player, you appreciate it. You know what you’re gonna get. If

Riley Nash has posted 11 points in 46 games from his center spot on the Blue Jackets’ fourth line. you’re honest with yourself, there are no surprises.”

What the Blue Jackets are getting from Nash now is more in tune with what he gave the Bruins and previously the Carolina Hurricanes. He has become a steady presence while centering the fourth line, he’s versatile enough to play with any line, and killing penalties this season has upped his ice time,

It’s all sort of coming together in Year Two after a mostly frustrating Year One.

“I’ve felt a lot more comfortable this year,” said Nash, whose 11 points in 46 games is just one fewer than what he finished with last season, when he appeared in 78 games. “I’m just trying to play more naturally, not think as much, and just do what I’ve been doing pretty much my whole career.”

In other words, he’s doing a bit of everything for the Jackets, who went 16-2-4 in a 22-game span before a nine-day break that started Thursday.

“I’d like to score a couple more goals, if I get the chance, but if not, then be effective on the penalty kill and make my line tough to play against,” said Nash, who has played with a number of wingers. “I just want to be responsible and create chances for other guys.”

Meanwhile, Nash has appreciated his own chance to experience life in a new NHL market and play for a team that didn’t have a single familiar face in the locker room — other than, you know, the coach everybody asks about.

“We’ve definitely enjoyed living here,” said Nash, who got married last summer and owns a place in the city with his wife, Clare. “We’ve made some friends outside of hockey, too, which is cool, and we bought a place. So, it definitely feels like home now — as much as home can feel like when you’re a hockey player.”