Flyers Forward James van Riemsdyk was proud to be a Flyer “I’m obviously extremely proud to be a Flyer and play for the Flyers for as many games as I have and as many years as I have”

It’s not easy to face the media and fans knowing full well that a person is not coming back to said team. This was the case with James van Riemsdyk as he knows deep down he will be back with the club, “I’m assuming they are going to get younger, and that’s the direction they will go (He assumes he won’t be back),” JvR said at exit interviews.

“The ultimate pro. He probably knows he’s not coming back. He still cares about the team and the young guys,” Scott Laughton said before departing for the offseason. JvR did say he was disappointed that he wasn’t traded to a Stanley Cup contender at the trade deadline. That was to be expected right?

“That was probably one of the more disappointing things that I’ve gone through just for a whole host of different reasons. Definitely disappointed that I wasn’t able to get that opportunity (To play for a contender).” – JvR said at exit interviews

James van Riemsdyk has been a player that could produce more, and show more in Philly. He’s a goal scorer and can be streaky at times. Somehow even with his streakiness the majority of the time he ends up with 20 to 30 goals per season. This past year was a year that he was searching for consistency, but in the end the trade deadline weighed heavily on him,  “A lot of great memories. Definitely some early ones I remember. You could look at the Cup run, that was a pretty special time,” JvR said. “We were so close. And then just, especially early on I think just a lot of how I was treated by some of he older players was pretty cool. I remember just being here for some of the summers training before the year and especially right before my rookie year where guys like – I remember Jeff Carter would take me out for dinner all the time and to baseball games and stuff like that. And then guys like Prongs and Danny B were really great with me, and Scotty Hartnell – the list goes on and on. Obviously on the ice that Cup run that we had was great, but off the ice a lot of great memories, especially early on. There’s been I feel like lots of great groups of guys that I have been able to play with over my time here. So those definitely stand out, just because when you’re younger and you’re kind of impressionable, I think it really sets the stage for you for the rest of your career when you’re around good people and good players. Looking back, I think that definitely helped set me up on a stage to know what it takes to try to be a productive, successful player.”

JvR goes on a tear then usually cools off for a bit of time, however, he provides a net front presence on the Power Play and tips pucks home with the best of them. At times he seems to skate better, thus he makes himself look bigger, “I’m obviously extremely proud to be a Flyer and play for the Flyers for as many games as I have and as many years as I have,” JvR said. “I still love the grind of preparing myself and trying to get better and working at your craft and working at your game, and it’s fun to come to the rink and things like that. So, I think again, as long as it’s still fun, as long as I can still think I can serve a role and find a good fit on a team, I want to obviously play as long as I can. This is obviously a next stage now for me, going into the summer, going into free agency. For that, you have a little bit of that excitement to see what’s potentially out there and how that can all work out. I put a lot of time and thought and effort into preparing myself the best way I can, and I think this is the time when you do that – over the course of a bunch of years – I think this is the time where it starts to pay off. I think I still feel pretty good on the ice and physically and things like that. Obviously, you have the experience and the reps of playing for a long time, so I think that part of your game becomes even more efficient as far as how you play the game and knowing the right places to be and things like that so you don’t have to be skating around like a dog off the leash. Definitely excited for what’s next.”

“I’m obviously extremely proud to be a Flyer and play for the Flyers for as many games as I have and as many years as I have,” JvR said.

van Riemsdyk is a class act, and he knows full well that the writing is on the wall for the Flyers and him to part ways. Sports is a crazy business. One moment a player could be down in the dumps, and the next he/she could have a bigger role. Enter JVR, a guy who knows how to put the biscuit in the basket, “It was a transitionary year for the for the organization. To be a part of that, and obviously, you want to prepare yourself the best way that you can and approach it like you do,” JvR said. “Again, I think you have to have that no matter what the situation is – what situation, what things are going on around you – I think you have to have that approach to try to play along. I don’t know if I answered your question or not. To play here for as many years as I have, for as many games as I have, I definitely take a lot of pride in that, and I’ll always look back on that fondly.”

To close JvR talks about his best friend Scott Laughton, “He’s going to be a lifelong friend. One of my closest friends. I still remember before free agency, I was up – didn’t know him at all then – but I was up there with Connor brown and a few of their other buddies playing on a softball team with them right before free agency starts, and we were just chatting with him a little bit. Just about what it’s like with the Flyers and things like that at that point since I had left. I’ve gotten really close with him, and it’s been a lot of fun playing with him. Like I said, we’ll have a lifelong friendship and had a lot of good times over these last five years.”

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