Five moments that stood out for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season
By Curtis Deem
Zach Werenski's historic night grants Jeff Rimer a retirement wish...
Whether you laughed, or cried, or did a little of both - last night's win over Carolina was an emotional one around the 5th Line.
Our beloved broadcaster, Jeff Rimer, rode off into the sunset; calling the last game of a storied career that has spanned nearly five decades.
The team honored him by allowing him to announce the starting lineup. In great Rimer fashion, he gave a demand to each player whose name he called. Of Zach Werenski, he commanded a four point night to tie the team record for points by a defenseman (57).
Zach went out and delivered. He had a goal and an assist in the first period. He added another helper in the second.
Then, late in the third, after a long shift that left him gased on the bench - he hit the ice again with less than a minute to play. This is what happened:
In what became Jeff Rimer's final goal call, Zach Werenski delivered on his request by scoring his second goal of the night. He ties Seth Jones for the single season record by defensemen with this goal.
Just looking at his reaction will tell you that he was pressing to do just that. That's a statement on how much Rimer meant to this organization.
Certainly, we had a lot more moments we can look back upon and reflect. In the end, it's another year that we will ultimately want to forget. These memories are some of the things that stood out to me this year, good and bad.
Though the season had more downs than ups, I'm sad that it's over. Ahead lies a summer of change and future promise. There will be a lot to talk about all the way up until the puck drops on next season.