Jeff Rimer, a 72-year-old native of Toronto, Canada, has committed his entire life to the art of broadcasting, but as the final buzzer sounds during Tuesday’s Columbus Blue Jackets game, so will Rimer’s, as this long and storied chapter of his life will be completed.
Rimer’s broadcasting career began in Calgary, as he functioned as a play-by-play commentator for the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Centennials for a local news and radio station. A couple of years later, Rimer would move on up to CBC Television in Edmonton as a sportscaster, where he would work under the highly proclaimed Ernie Afaganis for a span of four years. At the CBC, Rimer would become mostly known for his gymnastics commentary at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Eventually, though, he would transition back into radio as he became the pre- and post-game host for the Montreal Canadiens throughout the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Beginning in 1984, Rimer would move below the border to Baltimore to work for WBAL radio as the pre and post-game host for the Orioles. He would also become the pre- and post-game host for the Capitals on Home Team Sports (HTS), replacing the prominent Larry King, who was leaving for CNN. Rimer would continue in these positions until the 1990-1991 NHL season rolled around. Before the season got underway, the Washington Capitals were in need of a new play-by-play commentator for their television broadcasts as their former person for the job, Mike Fornes, was leaving the network. Ultimately, the Capitals would decide to hire the up-and-coming Jeff Rimer as the new play-by-play broadcaster for their telecasts.
Rimer would solidify himself in this position for three seasons, but once the 1993-1994 season rolled around, things would drastically change for Rimer. In 1993, there was an expansion for the league and the newly based Florida Panthers were looking for a play-by-play commentator. Eventually, they would land on hiring Rimer as their man for the job, but he wouldn’t completely leave the Capitals behind. For the 1993-1994 season, Rimer would do the unthinkable and call games for both the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals (33 games for the Panthers, 20 games for the Capitals). Obviously, he could not continue to work in that fashion, so once the 1993-1994 season concluded, Rimer would leave D.C. and move to the Miami area to call the Panthers games full-time.
He would consolidate himself in the Miami area for the next eleven seasons as he would remain the Panthers play-by-play commentator, but ultimately, the 2003-2004 NHL season would mark his last in South Beach as Rimer’s long-time friend, Doug MacLean, was now well-established in the city of Columbus as the general manager and president for the Blue Jackets. As a result, for the 2005-2006 season, Rimer would also move up to Columbus as he would become the play-by-play broadcaster for this relatively new franchise.
Ever since that 2005-2006 season, Jeff has called Columbus home, and many of the fans would say the same about their play-by-play broadcaster they have gone through life with. Through Rimer’s near twenty-year history with the franchise, he has called many of the memorable moments fans of the Blue Jackets have experienced in their history with the team. Of which the most memorable came in 2019, as the Columbus Blue Jackets won their first playoff series in franchise history as they swept the Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0 in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That brings us to the modern day where Rimer only has one more Columbus Blue Jackets game left to call, but the 2023-2024 season has not been short of honoring and cherishing the life’s work Jeff has obligated for the Blue Jackets and hockey as a whole.
As Rimer heads into his final season, he has now called over 2,500 games in the broadcast booth over a span of six decades. He left us with the following statement back in October:
“To have the privilege of a broadcast career in radio and television for parts of six decades, including 47 years in the National Hockey League as a pre-, intermission, and post-game host before moving into the play-by-play chair, I am truly a lucky man. But as they say, “all good things must come to an end.” It is time for me to spend more time with my family so the upcoming Blue Jackets season will be my last in the broadcast booth.” Jeff Rimer
Whether it’s the memories, the fans, or the city he has long been a part of, Jeff Rimer will forever have his name etched into the history of hockey.
Tonight, the Blue Jackets will be hosting the Carolina Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. ET, as Jeff Rimer holds the microphone for one last call on Bally Sports Ohio. Have a fantastic farewell, Jeff.
