Feb 11, 2017
Van Riemsdyk better than ever headed into 500th NHL game
James van Riemsdyk will play in his 500th NHL game Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres, smack dab in the middle of what’s quietly been the best season of his career. He has 43 points in 53 games, third among Maple Leafs and putting him on pace for a career-high 66.
TORONTO – At the ripe old age of 27, James van Riemsdyk is an elder statesman on one of the NHL’s youngest teams. But part of the Maple Leafs’ old guard or not, he's not ceding any ground to the upstarts - he’s helping lead the way.
Van Riemsdyk will play in his 500th NHL game Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres, smack dab in the middle of what’s quietly been the best season of his career. He has 43 points in 53 games, third among Maple Leafs and putting him on pace for a career-high 66. He’s been especially lethal on the power play, posting 15 points to sit second on the team, and his 12.4 shooting percentage is just shy of his career-high (12.9).
But as much as van Riemsdyk has enjoyed piling up the points, Toronto’s propensity towards winning is making his eighth NHL campaign a little sweeter.
“Seems like just yesterday you’re starting out. It all flies by for sure,” he said. “It’s definitely been a lot more fun [this year]. There’s some new energy and some youthfulness, and our team is doing well. Hopefully I’ve got at least 500 more games to go. It’s been a fun ride so far.”
What’s allowed van Riemsdyk to thrive on the ice has much to do with how he conducts himself off it. He’s meticulous in his preparation, and swears by a regimen of vitamins and supplements that keep him feeling healthy (even if his teammates tease him about the “vitamin packs” he carries around). Jokes won’t dissuade van Riemsdyk from his purpose though – to play as well as he can for as long as he can.
“I’ve always been one to find any edge you can to work on and become a better player,” he said. “I try to work on different things every summer and every season. You have to continually adapt and find a way to make a difference out there.”
Van Riemsdyk’s younger brother Trevor, 25, recognized the resource his oldest sibling was years ago, and has tried following in his footsteps. When the NHL announced each team would host a You Can Play night to promote inclusion and diversity in hockey, both brothers volunteered to be the LGBT ambassadors for their respective teams (Trevor plays for the Chicago Blackhawks). The two didn’t discuss the roles beforehand, but Trevor knew his brother would immediately step up, and he did too.
“For our team and for myself, we want to have an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable just playing hockey and in everyday life,” James said ahead of Toronto’s You Can Play night on Saturday. “All we care about [in this room is] being a good teammate and doing your job and playing hockey, so if someone does that, [we’d all] be supportive of that person.”
Trevor has become a sponge in the offseason around James, soaking up any detail he can use to emulate his brother’s consistent success.
“It’s not surprising he’s having a great season,” Trevor said. “He craves getting better. He’s always asking different guys about what they do and then tests things out to see if they work for him. He’s committed. Over the summers I’ve been following him around and not much needs to be said. Every single day he’s doing something to make himself better for the next year.”
One thing Trevor has that his brother doesn’t – a Stanley Cup ring. He was part of the Blackhawks 2015 championship team as a rookie, and recently Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock insinuated that knowing his little brother is on the Cup pushes James to work even harder. Trevor doesn’t see it that way.
“Winning a Cup is so important to him, being as competitive as he is. I don’t think he could get more motivated,” he said. “He’s always doing his best to be a key guy to making a team successful."
And so van Riemsdyk’s quest for hockey’s Holy Grail continues (he came close to the Cup his rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers, but lost in Game 6 to the Blackhawks), and he’s been refining his game wherever possible. This season he cites improved play on the cycle and creating chances down low as positives - van Riemsdyk has the most tipped shots on goal (25) and backhand goals from in close (5) on the team. More importantly, his line (with Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner) has made strides in the defensive zone playing harder on the puck after struggling there early on.
“[James]’s preparation is great, but when the game starts, he’s got to skate and he’s got to win battles, and I think he’s done a better job of that,” Babcock said. “The more physical he is, the more he’s at the net, the more he skates, the better chance he has to dominate the game on a nightly basis.”
That’s where van Riemsdyk’s attention lies. He’s weathered two seasons of persistent trade rumours and is as unruffled by them now as ever. By playing with as much confidence as he is, the hope for van Riemsdyk is his best is still to come.
“You try to save a lot of reflecting for the offseason or when you’re done playing,” van Riemsdyk said. “People come and go and you try to have a consistent approach so you can put yourself in a position to be successful.
“Who knows how long [I’ll keep playing], but I intend to do everything in my power to prolong that as long as possible.”