Jack Zimmerman

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Character
Name: Jack Zimmerman
Occupation: College student, NCAA Hockey Player, NHL Player
Relationships: Eric Bittle - engaged
Fandom: Check Please
Other:
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Jack Zimmerman is a character in the webcomic Check Please!. When the series begins he is Captain of the Samwell University Hockey team and after graduation goes on to become Captain for the fictional NHL team, the Providence Falconers. He is the main romantic interest of the main character Eric Bittle, who he later becomes engaged to, making him the first out queer character in the NHL in this universe.

Canon

Jack is the son of famous retired hockey player Bob Zimmerman, known as "Bad Bob", and model-actress Alicia Zimmerman. Due to his parent's celebrity, Jack was famous from essentially birth. Like his father, he was an extremely gifted hockey player from a young age and it was playing in the minor league as a teenager that he met and became involved with fellow player Kent Parson. During this time Jack struggled with his father's legacy and began to develop a substance abuse problem with his prescription medication.

When it came time for the NHL draft it was believed Jack would be the first pick and Kent second, however, Jack overdosed on anxiety medication and instead went to rehab. After completing rehab Jack took time out of the spotlight and then at 21 enrolled at his mother's alma mater, Samwell University, and joins the hockey team. He wears #1. He meets Bitty as a freshman during his own junior year, eventually helping him to overcome his fear of physically on the ice, but the two do not become romantic until Jack kisses Bitty after his own graduation. Jack then goes on to become Captain of the Providence Falconers and wins the Stanley Cup, during the on-ice celebration he kisses Bitty on live television, coming out to the world.

Fanon

Jack's Past

Because the comic is told from Eric's POV, when Check Please! first began not much was known about Jack's past, but it was learned early on he was the son of "Bad Bob" Zimmerman and that something had happened to land him at Samwell rather than the NHL. Fans used what little was known, along with additional information provided as the comic progressed, to theorize about Jack's past prior to Eric arriving at Samwell. After the introduction of Kent Parson fan theories were rampant that Jack and Kent had been in some form of relationship when they played together as teenagers. Jack later confirmed that they did have a previous sexual relationship.

Headcanons

A popular headcanon is Jack's accent. Jack is from Quebec in Canada and it is mentioned that he has a slight French-Canadian accent and he also knows French, as he helps Eric with his studying for French class. Though the accent seems minimal in the comic, it is a common headcanon that Jack's accent is much stronger, that his first language was French, rather than English, and that he speaks French at home. Fans used this example of Eric overhearing a conversation Jack was having on the phone in French to support this theory.

Due to his last name being Zimmerman, there is also a headcanon that Jack was Jewish, or at least of Jewish descent. There is even a specific Jewish Jack Zimmerman tag on AO3.

And with the canon information regarding Jack's mental health, there are a variety of headcanons regarding his mental health status. In canon Jack has anxiety, not always seen directly by the viewer but there are some specific instances like this extras panel of Jack shaking alone on the floor after his confrontation with Kent in the Year 2 comic. His pre-canon abuse of his medication leads to an overdose, Jack Zimmerman's Overdose has 149 works on AO3 as of February 20, 2022. Because of his pregame rituals, like his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and closed-off, more awkward demeanor, some fans headcanon Jack as being on the autism spectrum, Autistic Jack Zimmerman tag on AO3.

Fandom

Fan Response

Jack is generally well-liked among Check Please! fans, despite his rocky start with main character Eric, perhaps it is because even when Eric does not like Jack's attitude he always has a soft spot for him even from the beginning. His no-nonsense attitude showed fans he was determined and dedicated, and it didn't hurt that was drawn as a 6'2", darked haired, blue-eyed man with an exceptional hockey butt (as described by teammates Ransom and Holster).

Fans were also really rooting for Eric and Jack to get together, so their ending up together in canon was widely accepted and praised.

Pairings

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Meta

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References

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