"I was going home from my pregame skate and got traded," Chimera remembers now as he spoke on the 20th anniversary video series Where Are They Now presented by Huntington Bank. "Chris MacFarland called me and I said, 'You're joking, there's no way.' So I whisked off to Columbus that night from Phoenix."
While Chimera and his then-girlfriend, now-wife Sarah, quickly traveled to a new city, and it didn't take long for the speedy winger to get the Blue Jackets fans on his side. Chimera scored in the first five minutes of his CBJ debut, kicking off a memorable five-season career with the Blue Jackets.
The Edmonton native came to Columbus from his hometown Oilers after a four seasons as a fourth-liner, but his career blossomed with the Blue Jackets. In 331 games, he totaled 62 goals and 74 assists for 136 points and was a key piece of the franchise's first playoff team in 2009.
Chimera was traded in December 2009 to Washington, which would eventually become a division rival. He also spent a season and a half with another Metro foe in the New York Islanders, allowing him plenty of chances to return to Columbus in his career.
"When you go there with the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders, people still remember you," he said. "You're giving security people hugs. That's what it's all about, the relationships with those people in the building and the people you see on a regular basis. You can't put a price on that stuff."
Chimera ended his career in 2017-18 having played 1,107 games in the NHL, amassing 186 goals and 415 points.
You can listen to his full interview above, including his fond memories of Columbus and the people he met, including the Salmons family, as well as what it was like to play for Gerard Gallant and Ken Hitchcock among other topics.
