Player of the Week - Jan. 5

The Hockey News player of the week for Dec. 29, 2008 to Jan. 4, 2009 is Columbus Blue Jackets left winger Rick Nash.

Nash, 24, was a tough choice, as his teammate Steve Mason also had an excellent week statistically. But the Columbus captain’s two goals and seven assists in four games, to go along with a plus-7 rating and a game-winning goal were too much to ignore.

The first overall selection in 2002 began the week with a goal, an assist and a plus-1 rating in a 2-0 victory over Los Angeles. On New Year’s Eve, he posted an assist in another 2-0 victory while playing nearly 26 minutes. Nash’s biggest game of the week came during a 6-1 thrashing of Colorado. He posted a goal, three assists and was a plus-4. He finished the week off with two assists and a plus-1 in a 5-2 loss to St. Louis.

The native of London, Ont., is now on a point-per-game pace with 17 goals and 39 points in 39 games this season.