Tag Archives: James vanRiemsdyk

September 30, 2009 · 2:45 pm

JVR makes final roster

On the final day of roster deliberation, former second overall pick James van Riemsdyk told the media that he will be traveling with team to start the season, which  begins Friday in Carolina.  Traveling with the team on roster deadline day means that he has made the regular-season roster.  There has not been an official announcement by the Flyers.

“I’ve been more excited than anything,” van Riemsdyk told the media “It’s been a long camp so far. I think I’ve worked pretty hard and gotten better every day.”

JVR, involved in his first full pro season after departing from the University of New Hampshire, was expected to spend most of the 2009-10 season with the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL.  But after a superb preseason in which he scored three goals and one assist in seven games, JVR has impressed the Flyers’ front office and earned himself a spot on the everyday roster.

“I probably surprised a lot of people, not myself,” said JVR. “My goal coming into camp was to be here on opening night. Obviously, I am here now and I still have to keep playing well and earn my spot.”

van Riemsdyk is expected to play alongside center Claude Giroux and a winger to be named later.

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September 9, 2009 · 1:12 am

Time is running out for Flyers’ prospect Matsumoto

VOORHEES –Three-year rookie camp veteran and former third-round pick Jonathan Matsumoto is in organizational suspended animation.

The once mid-level center prospect, who just three years ago showed promise as a depth player, has quickly stagnated in the Flyers’ system, getting passed on the depth chart by centers Darroll Powe, Jared Ross and Jon Kalinski.  And although the soon-to-be 23-year old put up 107 points in 156 games with the Phantoms, he hasn’t seen one minute of NHL ice time.

“If I knew what was holding me back I would have worked on it already,” said smiley and soft spoken Matsumoto.  “They told me to come to camp in shape and I’m feeling good now. I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.  Hopefully I just get a chance to show what I can do this year.”

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August 26, 2009 · 4:48 pm

Flyers rookies to take ice on Sept. 7

For one week, beginning on Sept. 7 at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J., 29 Flyers’ prospects will take the ice for the team’s annual rookie camp.  Among the attendees are former second-overall draft pick James van Riemsdyk, defenseman Kevin Marshall, Marc-Andre Bourdon and Patrick Maroon.

The Flyers’ prospects will conclude the camp with a scrimmage against the Washington Capitals’ prospects, held at the Skate Zone on Sept 11.

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April 1, 2009 · 7:03 pm

Flyers ink JVR to entry level contract

The Flyers have just announced that top prospect and NCAA standout James van Riemsdyk has forgone his last two years of college to turn pro and sign a multi-year entry level deal with the Flyers that won’t begin until next season.  van Riemsdyk could play as soon as tonight with the Phantoms, on a try out contract.

“We are pleased to have James in the fold and look forward to monitoring his development more closely,” said Holmgren. “It was a difficult decision for James to leave school, but we both believed that it was in his best interest to do so. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the University of New Hampshire, and in particular, Coach Dick Umile and his staff for not only their understanding but their dedicated work with James over the last two seasons.”

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March 30, 2009 · 10:07 pm

Holmgren leaving decision to JVR

With less than a minute to play and the game locked at one in the University of New Hampshire’s NCAA playoff match up with Boston University, Flyers’ prospect James van Riemsdyk took a hooking penalty that set in motion what should be an interesting post season for JVR.  The Terriers scored on the power play, ending the Wildcats’ season.

Now that his season is over, many believe that the former second overall pick in 2007 will decide to join the Flyers’ organization, forgoing his junior and senior years of college.  But it might not be that easy.

“I’m not sure how soon it will be, but in the next couple of weeks or so, I’m going to figure out what I’m going to do,” JVR told the Boston Globe.

The Flyers have tried to get JVR out of college before and failed miserably, putting a behind-the-scenes rift between JVR, his family and Flyers’ General Manager Paul Holmgren.

“The environment he’s in now, it might be time for him to move on (from college),” Holmgren said in January. “We tried to get him to come out last summer and he thought he was better off going back, and we said, ‘That’s fine. We’ll support your decision.’ But I still think he would have been better off if he came out last year.”

And with everyone expecting the Flyers to now pounce on an undecided van Riemsdyk, it’s oddly enough not going to happen.

“We’ve talked during the year,” Holmgren told the media yesterday. “I won’t do that (call JVR and family). It’s van Riemsdyk’s decision to make.”

The quote by Holmgren screams of frustration from prior attempts with contact his family.  He clearly knows where the family and player stands on the situation and doesn’t feel like his opinion matters, or else he would apply it.  This  ‘souring’ by the Flyers could have been the root of why JVR’s name popped up at the trade deadline.

Many scouts believe that JVR’s mediocre year was due to the lack of competition.  van Riemsdyk is a top caliber player and needs to be challenged at every turn.  If not, players who eclipse others in the league, tend to develop bad habits.  So when the Flyers wanted him in the AHL to get better and NHL-ready, JVR declined, saying he was happy where he was.

“I’m just trying to wait until I’m ready,” van Riemsdyk said in January. “[The Flyers] have obviously given me their opinions as to what they’ve thought I should do, but I’m kind of going to my support group, which would be my parents, my whole family, and my family advisers to help me make the decisions about hockey.”

Eklund from hockeybuzz.com is reporting that JVR may possibly be close to turning pro, which is what most expect.  However, if JVR does return to college for a third year, it would be an unbelievable decision, turning his name to mud in the Flyers’ eyes.

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