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16-Year NHL Veteran Has Recorded 665 Points in 1,082 Games with Flyers, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets Since 2009-10
The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $1 million.
Van Riemsdyk, 36, skated in 71 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season and ranked among the team leaders with 16 goals (8th), 20 assists (9th), 36 points (7th), two game-winning goals (T6th) and an 18.8 shooting percentage (2nd). The 6-foot-3, 209-pound forward played in his NHL-record eighth career outdoor game at the 2025 Stadium Series on March 1 at Ohio Stadium. Van Riemsdyk spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Boston Bruins, recording 38 points (11-27-38), a plus-seven rating and 20 penalty minutes in 71 regular-season games, in addition to five points (1-4-5) in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, van Riemsdyk has compiled 665 points (327-338-665) and 417 penalty minutes in 1,082 games with the Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets since 2009-10. He has also produced 36 points (21-15-36) and 22 penalty minutes in 82 postseason games, helping the Flyers reach the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Van Riemsdyk made his professional debut with the American Hockey League’s Philadelphia Phantoms in 2008-09, logging two points (1-1-2), a plus-two rating and two penalty minutes in seven regular-season games before skating in four Calder Cup Playoff contests.
Prior to turning professional, van Riemsdyk played two seasons at the University of New Hampshire from 2007-09, racking up 74 points (28-46-74), a plus-28 rating and 89 penalty minutes in 67 games. Van Riemsdyk earned a place on the All-Hockey East Second Team as a sophomore after tallying 40 points (17-23-40), a plus-15 rating and 47 penalty minutes in 36 games during the 2008-09 season. He was also selected to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team after helping the Wildcats win a Hockey East regular-season championship in 2007-08. The Middletown, N.J., native skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2005-07. On the international stage, van Riemsdyk has played with Team USA at two IIHF World Championships (2011, 2019), combining for six points (3-3-6) in 10 games. He also represented his country at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, picking up one assist in three appearances. Van Riemsdyk competed with Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he recorded seven points (1-6-7), a plus-seven rating and two penalty minutes in six games. He skated with Team USA at three-consecutive IIHF World Junior Championships from 2007-09, winning a bronze medal at the 2007 tournament. Additionally, van Riemsdyk played in back-to-back IIHF World Under-18 Championships from 2006-07, capturing a gold medal in 2006 along with a silver medal and Most Valuable Player honors in 2007.
