BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer
Middletown’s James van Riemsdyk stands with his farther, Franz (l), former New York Ranger Adam Graves, and longtime Brick Hockey Club coach Alex DePalma after being selected second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers at the June 22 NHL draft in Ohio. Mike Reynolds knows potential when he sees it.As the head coach of the state power Christian Brothers Academy ice hockey team and as a former scout, Reynolds can spot a special player at a young age.
How young?
How about 4 years old?
That’s how old James van Riemsdyk was the first time Reynolds saw him lace up a pair of skates at a clinic at the Wall Ice Arena.
“He and my son started skating together,” Reynolds said. “My son would get tired and start leaning on the net after a while, but James would go all three hours every time. He and his father [Franz] would just keep skating until the clinic ended.
“You could tell even then,” the coach added. “He was a little bit taller and more skilled than the other kids. He needed to improve on his skating, obviously, but even then you could tell he had something special.”
That was Reynolds’ introduction to the player who would eventually become the No. 2 pick in this year’s NHL draft, held June 22 in Columbus, Ohio.
The 6-3, 200-pound Middletown native, who made a name for himself playing with the Brick Hockey Club before attending CBA for his freshman and sophomore years and then becoming a star as a member of the United States Developmental Program over the last two years, was picked by the Philadelphia Flyers after the Chicago Blackhawks selected Buffalo, N.Y., native Patrick Kane with the top pick, making Kane and van Riemsdyk the first two American-born players to be drafted first and second in draft history.
Philadelphia General Manager Paul Holmgren said that Kane, van Riemsdyk and Kyle Turris were the top three players on the Flyers’ draft board.
“All three of these kids were very close,” he said. “We’d have been happy with any of them, but you have to make a decision, and James ended up on top.
“I saw him a little bit last year and a little more this year, but he just continued to get better for our staff as the year went on,” he added. “I think he’s a skilled player that happens to be big. I think [his size] is going to help him more than hinder him.”
The 18-year-old Van Riemsdyk is being compared by some members of the Flyers organization to former great John LeClair, himself a big, goal-scoring winger during his playing days. While the comparisons may be a bit premature, scouting reports label van Riemsdyk as a quick, strong skater with surprisingly good hands and a knack for finding the net.
He entered the draft as the No. 3 prospect among North American skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau.
The Flyers obviously thought higher of him than that.
And they’re not alone in that regard.
A star from the start
Alex DePalma couldn’t wait to get a young James van Riemsdyk involved in the Brick Hockey Club.
The longtime coach, like Reynolds, knew early on that the Middletown kid had the ability to become a big-time player, and quickly got him involved with the Brick program as a squirt (8-year-olds).
“We put together a team called the Shore Select, and out of the success of that team, Franz joined me and we took James to the Brick Hockey Club as a squirt,” DePalma said.
Over the next few years, van Riemsdyk’s teams put together a 42-0 record as squirts and pee wees playing at the Ocean Ice Palace, and had success traveling out of state to play in various tournaments as well.
“James always had enormous potential,” De Palma said. “He has great hands, soft hands, which is unusual for a kid his size, and an uncanny eye for the net.”
Asked whether he had thought van Reimsdyk was developing into a future NHLer during those formative years, DePalma said he’d had an inkling.
“How much potential is there? And is anyone looking at a kid from Jersey?” he said. “You never really know, you’re just hoping for the best.”
Reynolds said that he’s known for a while that van Riemsdyk would eventually play at a high level.
“I told his dad eight years ago at a party, ‘James is going to be a Division I hockey player.’ I never thought he’d be the second pick in the NHL draft at that age, though,” he said.
However, Reynolds added that upon recently seeing just how much van Riemsdyk has improved since leaving CBA, he understands why so many teams were clamoring for him.
“Last summer I played in Red Bank in a men’s league with him. I hadn’t seen him in a year, and the difference was incredible,” Reynolds said. “He was 2 inches taller, about 25 pounds heavier, and dominated the ice like I couldn’t believe.”
Franz van Riemsdyk said the NHL was always his son’s dream, though he and his wife were never really looking that far down the road.
“We’ve only begun to really think about it recently, to be honest with you,” he said. “You really think about their future in terms of the levels they reach. When he started with Alex and the Brick Hockey Club, we thought, Gee, wouldn’t it be great to play high school hockey, maybe at CBA, which has always been the big program around here.
“As he played more and more, and started playing at CBA, we started thinking about how great it would be to play college hockey, whether it was Division III or whatever. It was not until the early part of this year, when the interest and hype and discussions from the NHL started to kick in, that it started to sink in, and it all culminated with his selection in the draft.”
Over the next few years, van Riemsdyk continued to play for the Brick Hockey Club while also enrolled at CBA.
As a 15-year-old, van Riemsdyk tried out for a 15-and-under regional team that took part in the USA Hockey festival. Upon making the team, he proved to be among the best players in the tournament.
And that’s when people began to take a long look at the kid from Middletown.
During his short time at CBA, van Riemsdyk certainly did enough to leave behind a legacy.
In 2005, he scored 36 goals and recorded 24 assists in leading the Colts to the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship, and registered the game-winning goal in overtime to beat Delbarton in the title game, held at the Continental Airlines Arena.
By playing in that game for the Colts, van Riemsdyk passed on an opportunity to try out for the U17 national developmental team. However, despite missing the tryout, his growing reputation proved to be enough, and he was invited to join the team in Ann Arbor, Mich.
At first, the van Riemsdyk family had some reservations about sending James to Michigan.
“His parents weren’t sure if that was the best thing for him, but I do a lot of work for USA Hockey, and I put them in touch with some people I know who convinced them that it was the best thing for him,” DePalma said.
Reynolds also supported the move.
“Franz and I talked about it, and for James, it was the right thing to do,” he said. “They wanted him before his sophomore year, so I was lucky to have him for two years.”
Over the next two years, van Riemsdyk split time between the U17 and U18 teams, where he scored 26 goals and notched 16 assists in 55 games as a member of the U17 team, including nine goals in seven games during the team’s silver-medal run at the 2006 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. That performance earned him a spot on the All-Tournament team.
That’s when van Riemsdyk started to think of himself as a potential star.
“After my first year in Michigan, I started to realize that I had a shot at reaching the NHL,” he said.
“It gave him an opportunity to play with some of the top players in the country, and he made the best of it,” DePalma added.
After accepting a scholarship to play hockey at the University of New Hampshire, he became a member of the under-18 developmental team, where he recorded 63 points (33 goals and 30 assists) in 42 games, and helped lead the USA team to win the gold at the Ice Hockey Federation World Under-19 Championships in Sweden.
With his stock continuing to rise, van Riemsdyk and his growing group of supporters began to concentrate on the hype leading up to the NHL Draft.
Draft day
The days leading up to the draft were not necessarily as enjoyable for the van Riemsdyk family as you might think they’d be.
“It was pretty crazy, having everybody talking about what could happen,” van Riemsdyk said. “It was very stressful.”
His parents were riding the same roller coaster of emotions.
“It’s pretty thrilling, that’s for sure,”
Franz van Riemsdyk said. “There were all sorts of reactions. My wife and I were just kind of holding on there throughout this whole process, and really had to work at keeping our composure.
“It’s rewarding to see a kid with a dream of playing in the NHL reach his goal,” Franz added. “There are all sorts of emotions going through you, especially when you realize this isn’t the accomplishment of one person. There have been a lot of people who have helped him become the player he is.”
Helping to keep James’ emotions under control was a large group of friends who made the trip out to Columbus to support their friend on the biggest day of his life.
Former teammates and childhood friends packed several cars and were among the more rambunctious cheering sections at the draft.
“Their efforts made quite an impact on the people at the draft,” Franz said. “People saw that this kid from Middletown has this great support system in place at home, a bunch of kids who thought nothing of hopping in a couple of cars and driving out to Columbus to support their friend. It’s a real Middletown, New Jersey, sort of story.”
“They are pretty supportive,” James said of his friends. “I thought it was very cool that they all came out there with me.”
“About 20 to 30 kids all drove 540 miles to support him – I think that’s a testament to the type of kid he is,” Reynolds said.
While van Riemsdyk didn’t have to wait long during the draft, there was quite a bit of tension as the minutes wound down prior to the first selection, amid some talk that the former Colt may be picked first.
“Chicago had definitely expressed some interest in taking him No. 1,” DePalma said.
Reynolds also confirmed the notion, adding that van Riemsdyk’s decision to go to the University of New Hampshire this fall regardless of where he was drafted may have played a role in the Blackhawks choosing Kane instead.
“Ron Anderson, a scout for the Blackhawks, must have called my house seven or eight times asking questions about him,” Reynolds said. “They wanted to know what his father and mother did for a living. I think that was about him going to New Hampshire for a year. I think that’s what turned the Blackhawks off; otherwise, he could have been the top pick.”
However, Reynolds agrees that van Riemsdyk is making the right decision in heading to Portsmouth, saying that a year of college is the right thing for him.
“I think it’s the best way to go for me in the long run,” van Riemsdyk said of his decision. “There’s not as many games, but it will give me time to get bigger and stronger, and sharpen my skills. Plus, I know I’ll have the opportunity to play in some big games. I just think right now to go play collegiate hockey is the best thing for my development.”
Once NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the Flyers’ pick, van Riemsdyk recognized that his life had changed in an instant.
“I was a Ranger fan. They’ve made it very clear to me that I couldn’t be a fan anymore,” he said.
“I didn’t really care where I ended up, but I am glad that I’ll be close to home,” he added. “I guess my parents will be making a lot of two-hour car trips.”
Count DePalma among the long list of people who were enthused with the outcome.
“Whether you’re a Flyers fan or not, to have him playing in the Atlantic Division, close to home, will do a lot for the youth hockey in this area,” he said.
Following the pick, as van Riemsdyk’s career was scrutinized, there was plenty of talk about his attractiveness to teams from a character perspective.
“The GM of the Edmonton Oilers told me at the draft that he’d heard a lot of great things about James on the ice, but even more about what a great kid he is off the ice,” Reynolds said. “He’s right up there with the best kids to coach that I’ve had.”
DePalma echoed that sentiment.
“His character is impeccable. I never had to discipline him for a bad penalty or anything like that,” DePalma said. “He’s an absolute gem of a person.”
The road ahead
This summer promises to be a hectic one for the Flyers’ newest prized prospect.
While training with John Sabo of Maximum Fitness, himself a former player at Boston University and for the Boardwalk Bullies, an ECHL team based in Atlantic City, van Riemsdyk is also preparing for another shot at international competition.
“I’m playing in a Pro-Am league at the Wall Ice Arena, a summer league with some younger players and some college guys too,” van Riemsdyk said. “I’ll also be attending the Flyers’ rookie camp from July 7 to 13 and will head to Lake Placid, New York, from August 3 to 12 for the U.S. Junior National Team tryouts.”
Then it’s off to New Hampshire, where the young star hopes to take his game to an even higher level – something Reynolds continues to stress that he needs to do.
“There’s a saying that a lot of kids get drafted but only a few are chosen,” Reynolds said. “He needs to stay focused on getting better. He’s still got a tough road ahead. He needs to keep things in perspective.
“I talked to [former NHL player] Joey Mullins up in the Flyers’ booth at the draft, and he said to me that these kids are so young, they need to know that it’s still going to be hard getting to the NHL,” Reynolds added. “James has to get better, he knows that, and I’m sure he’ll do what he needs to do.”
Confident that going to New Hampshire is the right thing to do, van Riemsdyk doesn’t harp on the big paycheck he’s walking away from should he sign with the Flyers instead. With a potential three-year deal worth approximately $3 million lying in wait, van Riemsdyk points to the fact that no one has ever made the jump from the U18 U.S. team straight to the NHL.
And knowing that the money will be there for him whenever he’s ready to become a professional, van Riemsdyk is anxious to see how he stacks up against the best that the college hockey ranks have to offer.
After all, the next challenge that slows down James van Riemsdyk will be the first.