James Van Riemsdyk - Playing Career

Playing Career

Van Riemsdyk attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey before transferring out after his sophomore year to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan play for the U.S. National Team Development Program. Before that he played Mite to Bantam at Brick Hockey Club in Brick, NJ. As a youth in the greater NY area, van Riemsdyk was an avid New York Rangers fan.

Van Riemsdyk was drafted second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft behind number one pick and fellow American Patrick Kane, marking the first time in NHL history that two Americans were drafted 1st and 2nd overall in the same draft.

On April 1, 2009, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that van Riemsdyk would forgo his last two years of college eligibility at the University of New Hampshire to sign an entry-level NHL contract starting in the 2009–10 season; he spent the remainder of the 2008–09 season playing for the Philadelphia Phantoms on an amateur tryout contract.

It was during the 2009–10 preseason that van Riemsdyk began making an impact. Initially expected to spend the year in the AHL or at best gain a place midway through the season, van Riemsdyk seized the attention in the Flyers' annual rookie game against the Capitals with 4 goals and an assist in the Flyers' 7–3 rout of the Capitals' rookies. As he moved into the preseason, van Riemsdyk proved himself one of the most consistent members of the Flyers outfit, once again seizing the attention with two goals against the Detroit Red Wings in a 5–2 Flyers victory.

Van Riemsdyk was included in the Flyers' starting 2009–10 roster to play on a third line with prolific sophomore Claude Giroux. He scored his first NHL point in his first game, recording an assist on a powerplay goal by Mike Richards in a 2–0 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. His next game saw a return to his roots in New Jersey, where he contributed two more assists against the New Jersey Devils. He suffered a minor concussion shortly after that due to a hit by the Capitals' defenseman Milan Jurcina in the Flyers' home opener and missed two games, but would return quickly. He scored his first goal on October 24, 2009, against Tomas Vokoun of the Florida Panthers.

James van Riemsdyk had an impressive month of November for a rookie, scoring four goals and five assists. Three of the four goals were game-winning goals. He was named the NHL's rookie of the month in November 2009.

During the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Philadelphia Flyers (who finished in 7th place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season) found themselves down 3 games to none against the 6th-place Boston Bruins. Philadelphia mounted a comeback, only to find themselves losing to the Bruins 3–0 in game 7 at Boston's TD Garden. With 2:50 left in the first period, van Riemsdyk scored his first career playoff goal, and the game's momentum shifted to the Flyers. Philadelphia went on to win the game, 4–3, and the playoff series, 4 games to 3. Not since the New York Islanders came back from a 3–0 deficit against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1975 had a team won 4 games in a row to win an NHL playoff series. For van Riemsdyk's momentum-changing goal, he was named the impact player of the game.

On February 15, 2011, in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning van Riemsdyk recorded his first Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, an assist, and a fight in the Flyers' first victory over the Lightning in the season series.

On March 26, 2011, in a game against the New York Islanders, van Riemsdyk recorded his first career NHL hat trick in the Flyers 4–1 victory over New York in front of some of his aunts and uncles, and his mother. Two of the three were scored in even-strength play, while the third came on a power play.

In the opening round of the 2011 NHL Playoffs, van Riemsdyk had a very strong series and was a key to the Flyers' 4–3 series win over the Buffalo Sabres. van Riemsdyk tallied 4 goals in the series, including the eventual game-winner in the seventh game to help the Flyers advance. He followed that series up with 3 goals in 4 games against Boston as the Flyers were swept by the Bruins. Despite only playing in 11 games, van Riemsdyk finished third in the entire postseason in total shots with 70 (behind only Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks) and led the postseason in shots per game.

The Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly re-signed forward James van Riemsdyk to a six-year contract extension worth $25.5 million.

Van Riemsdyk, who is entering his third season in Philadelphia, provided the length of the extension on his Twitter. Van Riemsdyk was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2011–12 campaign. He finished the 2010–11 regular season with career highs in points (40), goals (21), and plus/minus rating (plus-15).

In the 2012 season Van Riemsdyk broke his foot requiring surgery.

On June 23, 2012, Van Riemsdyk was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Luke Schenn.

On November 24, 2012, Van Riemsdyk participated in "Operation Hat Trick", a charity hockey game held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to raise money for Hurricane Sandy victims .