Van Riemsdyk made NHL history before playing a game in the League.
When he was selected at No. 2 by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft behind Patrick Kane, it marked the first time that two American players had been picked in the first two spots.
Van Riemsdyk made NHL history before playing a game in the League.
When he was selected at No. 2 by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft behind Patrick Kane, it marked the first time that two American 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 over his 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, N.J., 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 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.
Van Riemsdyk is the older brother of Trevor van Riemsdyk, a defenseman who followed him to the NHL.
