As part of a busy offseason for the Detroit Red Wingsthey signed veteran James van Riemsdyk to a one-year deal shortly after trading Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild.
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Although van Riemsdyk missed all of training camp and preseason due to 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 in Sunday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators, his 13th goal 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 Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, one pick behind future Red Wings teammate Patrick Kane, who went first overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Although van Riemsdyk’s family has spent the majority of their time in Minnesota thus far during his tenure in Detroit, several of them were able to travel to Michigan for Sunday’s game.
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“Tonight, I was lucky to have my family here, my three oldest children, my wife and my father-in-law,” he explained afterwards. “These kinds of games become more special when you spend a lot of time away from them.”
Having a father who plays professional hockey for the Red Wings has some built-in advantages for van Riemsdyk’s children.
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“They’ve been to a few (games) this year, I’m going to go see them now and I’m sure they’ll be excited to come to the locker room and have some snacks,” he said with a smile.
The NHL veteran has previously played for two other Original Six clubs, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, and he has nothing but good things to say about his experience so far with the Red Wings.
“As far as hockey and the way I was treated, I can’t say enough good things,” he said of his experience in Detroit. “I really enjoyed it.”
Not only is van Riemsdyk loving his time in Detroit, but the Red Wings are reaping major benefits from having him on the team.
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He’s proven to be one of the most underrated contract signings of the offseason so far.
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