James van Riemsdyk was born in Middletown, New Jersey, on May 4, 1989. Van Riemsdyk has two brothers who play hockey as well. Trevor van Riemsdyk played three seasons at the University of New Hampshire as a defenseman, where he was a captain in his junior year. Trevor was an All-American at UNH and scored 16 goals with 59 assists in 102 collegiate games. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound blue liner signed out of college with the Chicago Blackhawks and has also played with the Carolina Hurricanes. Trevor is now a member of the Washington Capitals.
James van Riemsdyk’s other brother Brendan is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound center who also played three seasons at UNH before transferring to Northeastern for his senior season. Brendan has spent the last two seasons in the ECHL, most recently as a member of the Norfolk Admirals.
James van Riemsdyk played for Brothers Christian Academy in New Jersey as a fifteen-year-old and scored 36 goals with 24 assists in 30 games. This successful season gave the left wing the opportunity to join the United States National Team in 2005-06. Van Riemsdyk would play 18 games with the U-17 team and score eight goals. The forward would then move on to play 51 total games with the U-18 team and register 19 goals and 14 assists. Van Riemsdyk was a World Junior Championships All-Star for three consecutive tournaments. The talented winger played two seasons at the University of New Hampshire and totaled 38 goals and 46 assists in 67 games.
James van Riemsdyk was Drafted Second Overall in the 2007 NHL Draft
The Philadelphia Flyers made James van Riemsdyk the second overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NHL Draft. Van Riemsdyk was one of only four left wings chosen in the first round. The Chicago Blackhawks chose right-wing Patrick Kane with the first overall pick. Kane is currently fifth in goals scored from that draft.
James van Riemsdyk’s NHL Debut To Today
James van Riemsdyk made his NHL debut for the Philadelphia Flyers on October 2, 2009, in a 2-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The rookie forward collected one assist and three shots in 8:59 of ice time. On October 24, van Riemsdyk notched his first NHL goal in a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. In November, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound forward was NHL Rookie of the Month. Van Riemsdyk finished the season with 15 goals and 35 assists in 78 games.
Over 14 seasons, James van Riemsdyk has played 940 games with 300 goals and 291 assists. After three seasons with the Flyers, the big winger was traded to Toronto on June 23, 2012, for Luke Schenn. Van Riemsdyk played six seasons with the Maple Leafs before signing with Philadelphia again on July 1, 2018. On July 1, 2023, Van Riemsdyk signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Boston Bruins at 34 years old. The Bruins are hoping to get veteran leadership and some power-play goals from Van Riemsdyk, who is 60 games away from 1,000 in his career.
