Van Riemsdyk became part of NHL history before playing his first game in the League.

When he was selected No. 2 by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft behind Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks), it marked the first time that two U.S.-born players had been picked in the first two spots.

Van Riemsdyk, then 18, had impressed the Flyers with his play with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.

Unlike Kane, who made the jump to the NHL right after being drafted, van Riemsdyk headed to the University of New Hampshire, where he had 28 goals and 74 points in two seasons.

He left college after the 2008-09 season and played seven regular-season games for the Flyers' AHL affiliate in Philadelphia. The forward from Middletown, New Jersey, has been an NHL regular ever since.

Van Riemsdyk got an assist in his first NHL game Oct. 2, 2009, against the Carolina Hurricanes, then had two more the next day against the New Jersey Devils. He scored his first NHL goal Oct. 24, 2009, against the Florida Panthers.

Van Riemsdyk had 35 points (15 goals) in 78 games for the Flyers as a rookie in 2009-10, then had his first 20-goal season in 2010-11. After three seasons with the Flyers, van Riemsdyk was traded to the Toronto Maple for defenseman Luke Schenn on June 23, 2012. He continued to produce in Toronto, reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time in the NHL in 2013-14.

But after scoring an NHL career-high 36 goals for the Maple Leafs in 2017-18, his sixth season with Toronto, van Riemsdyk decided it was time to play closer to home. He became an unrestricted free agent signed a five-year contract with the Flyers on July 1, 2018.

Van Riemsdyk is the older brother of Trevor van Riemsdyk, a defenseman who followed him to the NHL.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Hockey East All-Rookie Team (2008)
• Hockey East Second All-Star Team (2009)
• Traded to Toronto by Philadelphia for Luke Schenn, June 23, 2012.
• Signed as a free agent by Philadelphia, July 1, 2018.