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Zach Werenski passes Rick Nash as Columbus Blue Jackets' all-time assist leader
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- Zach Werenski passes Rick Nash as Columbus Blue Jackets' all-time assist leader
Zach Werenski continues to soar .
Doing what he's done all season, the Blue Jackets ' star defenseman dished out two primary assists for goals in a 7-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden that got them back into a playoff spot and pushed him past Rick Nash in career assists.
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Dmitri Voronkov (10) talks to defenseman Zach Werenski (8) during warm ups prior to the NHL Stadium Series game against the Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium on March 1, 2025.
The first of Werenski's big "apples" in the "Big Apple" was delivered in the first period to Justin Danforth with a pinpoint feed off a toe-drag around a defender. It was the 259thassist of Werenski's career to move him past Nash's 258 into the all-time franchise lead. Another dime pushed it to 260 late in the second on Mathieu Olivier 's first of two goals, breaking a 3-3 tie.
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Nash, the Blue Jackets' director of hockey operations whose No. 61 hangs in the rafters at Nationwide Arena, congratulated Werenski with a recorded message that was posted on the team's social media channels and played at the conclusion of the FanDuel Sports Network postgame broadcast.
Werenski, drafted eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in 2015 , isn't fond of talking about personal accomplishments. He essentially shrugged it off during a postgame interview and after receiving a game puck to commemorate the record.
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"It's one of those things, I said it to these guys in the room after the game, it's not possible without my teammates," he told reporters in New York. "I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. I'm trying to enjoy the year, enjoy the moment and enjoy the spot we're in as a team. It's one of those things where ... I really don't care, as bad as that might sound. I just want to keep helping this team win."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Werenski passes Nash as Columbus Blue Jackets' all-time assist leader
