Jason Chimera played parts of seven seasons with the Washington Capitals, scoring 197 points (82g, 115a) in 490 games and notching two 20-goal seasons.
The Capitals and Chimera parted ways ahead of the 2016-17 season as the rugged forward signed a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the New York Islanders.
Well wishes to Jason Chimera and a huge thanks for seven great seasons in Washington. #ChimDawg #IceCheetah pic.twitter.com/wxcBMqVOZu
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 1, 2016
Two years later, the Chimera-less Capitals won the Stanley Cup, something the Ice Cheetah thought was possible the season he was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009-10.
“When I got traded there I thought we’d win the Cup,” Chimera said on The Jason Gregor Show. “They won the Presidents’ Trophy that year and I was like, ‘This is going to be unbelievable.’”
Instead, the Capitals ran into years of terrible luck, losing six Game Sevens.
“Let’s not mention this,” Chimera said laughing. “Like we always had a bounce or something. I remember we lost in Game Seven to Montreal of all teams. We outshot — Halak saved like 60 shots or something. It was like 60 to 20. We lost 3-1, I don’t know what the score was. It was like, ‘What is going on here?’ It was crazy.”
The Canadiens won 2-1 in that decisive Game 7 in 2010, receiving 42 saves from Halak. The Capitals outshot the Habs an astounding 42-16. The Capitals were the number one seed that playoff year while the Canadiens were eighth.
After years of misery, the Capitals eventually broke through in 2018, riding sensational performances by Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Braden Holtby.
“Those guys, like Backe and Ovi, those guys called me after,” Chimera revealed. “Those guys like Osh, you text them congratulations and they call you back saying, ‘You’re a part of this. I know you don’t get a ring and stuff.'”
The Capitals did not forget about the players who had left in previous years and tried to involve them as much as possible. One prime example is Taylor Chorney, the team’s seventh defenseman that year, who was given a Stanley Cup ring and was invited to TJ Oshie’s Cup day in Minnesota. Chorney was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets in February 2018.
According to Chimera, the Capitals players that had left in previous years continued to communicate privately where there appears there was some, uh, loving trash talk.
“Hopefully you leave an imprint on a team,” Chimera said. “I was there for almost eight years. It was a shame not to get it done but like, we had this group chat of all of the people that were traded that were like ‘No way, that’s not going to happen.’
“But it was pretty funny. There’s no bitterness. You’re just happy for those guys. Genuinely happy. Ovi and those guys deserve it. Backe deserves. Those guys deserve it. Sure you’re like — Smith-Pelly was wearing my jersey -— so I was pissed off at him for wearing my number when he won the Cup.”
Devante Smith-Pelly, wearing Chimera’s former no. 25, exploded for seven goals in 24 games that playoff year. He also scored the game-tying goal in Game Five, beating Marc-Andre Fleury as he fell to the ice.
Chimera, who visited with the Capitals on Tuesday ahead of their game against the Oilers, was also happy for one other former member of the team who originally brought him to DC.
“I text George (McPhee),” Chimera said. “George was a big part of it too. He was in Vegas at the time (the Capitals won it all). He won a Cup, too. He gave me extensions and really treated me well. He’s a really stand-up human being.”
