# Jason Chimera

Jason Chimera (/tʃɪˈmɛərə/; born May 2, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played for five teams in the National Hockey League (NHL).

## Playing career

Chimera played his junior career in the WHL, for Medicine Hat and Brandon. He was selected 121st overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers, mostly because of his outstanding skating. Chimera played three seasons on the Hamilton Bulldogs, which at that point was the Oilers' farm team in the American Hockey League. In his final season, he was named to the AHL First All-Star team.
Chimera played two seasons for Edmonton before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for draft choices. Because of the NHL lockout, he did not play the following season and went to play in Italy for Mastini Varese. Chimera was subsequently dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets, without playing a game in Phoenix, as part of a trade for Geoff Sanderson.
With the Blue Jackets, Chimera predominantly played left wing on the team's third line. He was usually centered by Manny Malhotra and spent significant time playing alongside right wingers such as Dan Fritsche and Trevor Letowski. However, Chimera began the 2008–09 season as the veteran presence on a line with rookies Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek.
He was a member of the 2007 Canadian IIHF World Championship team that won gold in a 4–2 win against Finland in Moscow.
Chimera was traded to the Washington Capitals on December 28, 2009 for Chris Clark, the Capitals captain, and Milan Jurčina. The trade came less than two months after Capitals superstar Alexander Ovetchkin was injured either during a scrum/fight with Chimera, or as Ovetchkin exited the penalty box, colliding with Columbus' Raffi Torres. The injury was the longest of Ovetchkin's career, keeping him out of six games.
Chimera was re-signed a two-year contract extension with the Capitals on November 8, 2013.
On July 1, 2016, Chimera signed a two-year deal as a free agent with the New York Islanders. During the subsequent season, Chimera played in his 1,000th game.
In the 2017–18 season, his final season under contract with the Islanders, Chimera was dealt at the trade deadline to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Chris Wagner on February 26, 2018.
While with the Capitals, Chimera was nicknamed “the Ice Cheetah” for his speed on the ice.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1996–97 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 71 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 64 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1997–98 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 72 | 34 | 32 | 66 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 37 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 21 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 32 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 1999–00 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 78 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 77 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 2000–01 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 78 | 29 | 25 | 54 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 78 | 29 | 25 | 54 | 93 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| 2002–03 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 60 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Mastini Varese | ITA | 15 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 31 |
| 2005–06 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 80 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 82 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 81 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 49 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 39 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 39 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2010–11 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 81 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 64 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2011–12 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 20 | 19 | 39 | 78 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 2012–13 | Piráti Chomutov | ELH | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 47 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 48 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 77 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 51 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 2015–16 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| 2016–17 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | New York Islanders | NHL | 58 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 1,107 | 186 | 229 | 415 | 892 | 71 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 32 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1999 | Canada | WJC | | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2007 | Canada | WC | | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 2008 | Canada | WC | | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2014 | Canada | WC | 5th | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 26 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 14 |