As part of what was a busy offseason for the Detroit Red Wings, they signed veteran James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract not long after trading Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild.
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While van Riemsdyk missed all of Training Camp and the pre-season because of a family matter and got off to a slower start than he would have liked, he has more than made up for lost time.
van Riemsdyk scored a spectacular between-the-legs goal during Sunday evening’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators, his 13th tally of the season and 10th since the start of December.
The Middletown Township, New Jersey native was the second overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, one pick behind his future Red Wings teammate Patrick Kane, who went first overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.
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While van Riemsdyk’s family has spent the majority of their time in Minnesota so far during his tenure in Detroit, several of them were able to make the trip to Michigan for Sunday’s game.
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“Tonight, I was fortunate enough to have my family, my oldest three kids, my wife and father-in-law here,” he explained afterward. “Those kind of games become more special when you spend a lot of time away from them.”
Having a dad who plays professional hockey for the Red Wings comes with a few built-in perks for the van Riemsdyk kids.
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“They’ve been to a couple (games) this year, I’ll go see them now and I’m sure they’ll be fired up to come into the locker room and have some snacks,” he said with a grin.
The NHL veteran has already played for two other Original Six clubs in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, and he’s got nothing but good things to say about his experience so far with the Red Wings.
“As far as the hockey component and how i’ve been treated, I can’t say enough good things about it,” he said of his experience in Detroit. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Not only is van Riemsdyk loving his time in Detroit, the Red Wings are reaping major benefits from having him on the team.
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So far, he’s proven to be one of the most underrated contract signings of the offseason.
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