James van Riemsdyk

The first time I saw James van Riemsdyk was Jan. 7, 2004. He was a freshman under the tutelage of Christian Brothers Academy coach Mike Reynolds.

CBA was playing host to Don Bosco Prep at the Wall Ice Arena. Prior to the game, Reynolds had prepared me for what I was about to see in van Riemsdyk. But really, just how much flare could this 6-1, 155-pound baby-faced freshman really put forth?

Well, van Riemsdyk certainly wasn’t no ordinary freshman. He had a goal and one assist that night in a 7-1 triumph, but his goal came off a nifty deflection in the slot that was a sure sign of things to come.

Van Riemsdyk was as humble then as he is now. In my post-game interview with the budding star, he told me, ``I was working hard in the off-season and am very happy I can contribute.’’ Despite being a freshman, van Riemsdyk had the attention of every teammate in his locker room, including junior defenseman Eric Castellazzo.

``No one really expected him to come through like this, this quickly,’’ Castellazzo said. Van Riemsdyk was honored as my All-Shore Newcomer of the Year that season.

A little more than two years later, many North American hockey fans are saying exactly what Castellazzo thought that cold January evening in Wall. On Jan. 5, van Riemsdyk became the youngest of three 1989 birth year players to help lead the United States Junior National Team to a third-place finish at the World Junior Championship in Leksand, Sweden.

``What I like about him is his willingness to do whatever is asked of him,’’ USA coach Ron Rolston said. And if that weren’t enough, van Riemsdyk, born in Middletown, N.J., will likely be a first-round selection during the 45^th annual NHL Entry Draft on June 23 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. He is ranked second among North American skaters and had 43 points (25-18-43) in 25 games through Jan. 10, 2007, as a member of the U.S. Junior National Team. Could van Riemsdyk be the first selection overall? It’s highly unlikely, but the thought just boggles the mind, don’t you think? Of course, Brian Lawton (1983) and Bryan Berard (1995) were the only American-born players to be selected first overall in the NHL’s entry draft.

Van Riemsdyk is now 6-3, 200 pounds, and, according to some sources I know who have seen him, has transformed himself into a mountain of muscle.

Despite his busy schedule, van Riemsdyk graciously took the time to answer some questions I had regarding his current standing on the US Junior National Team and his high school days. The bottom line with van Riemsdyk is this, what-you-see-is-what-you-get! He’s a dedicated, humble and extremely team-oriented individual. It’s that type of mentality, in fact, that enabled van Riemsdyk to turn a tough decision into an easy one as a sophomore at CBA. Just prior to the state tournament, which CBA would eventual win, van Riemsdyk was extended an offer to the NTDP’s final tryout in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Instead, van Riemsdyk opted to remain with his CBA teammates.

``I chose to honor my commitment to my high school because my team and I had worked very hard throughout the season to get to that point and I would not just abandon them before the biggest game of our lives,’’ van Riemsdyk said. ``Looking back, I’m glad I made that choice because I had so much fun playing for CBA that year and made a lot of great friends that will last me a lifetime. Thankfully, everything turned out well for us at CBA and for me to make the NTDP without going to the final tryout.’’

In the state non-public schools championship game in 2004-05, van Riemsdyk and company scored a memorable 2-1 overtime victory over Delbarton. It was van Riemsdyk’s goal, with 6:17 remaining in the extra session, that won it for the Lincroft school.  Delbarton coach Bruce Shatel has this to say following his team’s defeat:

``To their credit, when they fell behind, they had enough in the tank to get one late. Then, in OT, the big guy (van Riemsdyk) got loose and he buried his opportunity.’’ Van Riemsdyk was named to First Team All-State as a sophomore. It would be his final season playing at CBA.

Van Riemsdyk, who is still undecided on a major upon entering the University of New Hampshire this coming fall, but has expressed an interest in the business field, admitted he owes a lot to CBA coach Mike Reynolds.

 ``I owe a lot of my success in hockey to Coach Reynolds,’’ van Riemsdyk admitted. ``He basically taught me everything about the game. He taught me how to skate better, how to think the game better and helped me develop my skills over the years. I first started skating with Mike when I was six-years-old and he helped me improve every season. He has a great mind for hockey and really knows what he’s doing.’’

Said Reynolds, following van Riemsdyk's sophomore campaign: ``He's got great hands and can see the ice better than anyone.''

While traveling with the US Junior National Team, van Riemsdyk spends ``about an hour a day studying.’’ It’s hard to stay on top of grades, according to the hockey prodigy, but it’s something ``that has to be done.’’

A typical week at the NTDP, according to van Riemsdyk, consists of the following:

``I wake up around 6:30 and head over to school. We get out of school around 1 p.m. and head straight over to the rink. When we get to the rink, we usually warm up and stretch, then go over video from the last weekends’ game. We then practice for an hour and a half, lift weight and do a circuit upstairs for an hour. We do that same thing Monday through Wednesday. If we have college games the upcoming weekend, we fly out to where the game is on Thursday. It’s very demanding, but I love doing it because I know it’s helping me become a better hockey player and helping me come closer to my goals of playing collegiate and professional hockey.’’

When told of the hardships faced by many teenage players performing for their high school and club teams, van Riemsdyk offered his rationale. 

``It’s a shame that both sides can’t get together and work something out, but when I played for the Brick Hockey Club, my coach (Alex DePalma), understood that CBA came first,’’ van Riemsdyk said. ``Thankfully, there never was a major conflict and the year we won the state championship at CBA was the year we went to Nationals at Brick.

And, for all those players still debating between winning a district national title or celebrating a high school state championship, please read on…

``But for the kids still being forced to choose between the two, they should choose the one that means more to them. For me, sure it was great to go to Nationals, but I think I enjoyed winning that Non-public state championship so much more because of how great the feeling was to represent your school and play in front of all your friends. It was an unforgettable experience.’’

Don’t forget New Jersey, here’s a kid that may be a first-round draft choice for an NHL team this year. You can’t deny the source in this instance!

Where does van Riemsdyk see himself five years from now?

``I’d like to be playing in the NHL somewhere, but if that doesn’t work out, I’d like to have my own hockey shop somewhere in New Jersey but still be involved in the game, whether it be coaching or playing.’’ I’m looking forward to the June draft and listening for van Riemsdyk’s name. Hopefully, they pronounce it correctly. If not, I’m confident it’ll be a matter of time before he begins making a name for himself.

Good luck James!