Jeff Rimer’s dreams of playing elite-level hockey ended as a teen when he attended a midget AAA tryout in Calgary with longtime friend John Davidson.

It’s an observation nobody disputes. It’s the details of what led to Rimer’s dismissal, however, which remain up for debate years later.

“Well, when he came out on the ice pushing a chair and wearing triple runners (on his skate blades), that was a sign to the coach,” said Davidson, the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations.

Standing within earshot, Rimer bellowed: “Those are alternative facts.”

This much is true: Rimer found a way to stay in the game he loves. The television voice of the Blue Jackets has spent the past 40 years in the NHL, working in Montreal, Washington, Florida and Columbus. His broadcasting career reaches another milestone Saturday night in Buffalo as he calls his 2,000th NHL game.

The club will recognize him at its next home game Thursday against the Florida Panthers, which seems fitting since he’s a bit like the Jaromir Jagr of broadcasters – one blessed with tremendous longevity and no immediate plans to retire.

“When they asked me if they could honor me, I said, . . . ‘this is not a retirement party.’” Rimer said. “I plan on being here. Hey, Vin Scully worked until he was (88). I’ve got a long way to go until that.”

Rimer has seen and experienced plenty over the past four decades. He provided gymnastics commentary at the 1976 Summer Olympics for the CBC and served as pre- and post-game host for the Baltimore Orioles.

In hockey, he covered the dynastic Montreal Canadiens of 1970s as a pre- and post-game host. Before becoming the Capitals’ play-by-play man in 1990, he inherited game-host duties from Larry King – yes, that Larry King – who notified his stunned bosses on air that he was leaving for CNN and Rimer was his replacement.

Rimer once called games for two NHL teams, the Capitals and Florida Panthers, in the same season.

Saturday night’s telecast marks his 981st game with the Blue Jackets. His favorite Columbus memory is an easy one, he said.

“Game 4 of the Jackets-Penguins series in Nationwide Arena in 2014,” Rimer said. “The game was sensational, exciting beyond belief. And, of course, the house came down when Nick Foligno scored the game-winning goal in overtime and tied the series at 2-2.”

Dispatch hockey writers Aaron Portzline and Tom Reed sat down with Rimer on Tuesday to discuss his memories. You can watch them on the video linked in this post.