Ice Skating Rinks In New Jersey

Van Riemsdyk, who had been out of town, arrived at the airport in Newark 7:10 p.m. ET at the Prudential Center has been in time, he says, to miss one or two shifts. James van Riemsdyk, a rookie Philadelphia Flyers, saw five minutes of ice time and did not score, but the Flyers beat the Devils 2-1.

"I hate to miss those games," said Frans van Riemsdyk Friday. There was no time to lose in Game 2 best-of-seven series, 5-3 Devils victory in which his son had an assist and he was joined by at least 100 friends and family in Middletown, New Jersey, the Monmouth County District bordering the Atlantic Ocean which is the hometown of the family. They had all become fans of the Flyers, of course.

The van Riemsdyk - and many family and friends - used to be Rangers fans, but as James said before Friday's game, that allegiance has been thrown out the window. It is an ideal series for Van Riemsdyk and his family, because their hometown is in the middle of the action. "It's something you dream about when you're a child," said James van Riemsdyk. "Playoff hockey is the most exciting to watch."

Three years ago, the Flyers used the second choice in the NHL draft to select van Riemsdyk, a rangy, 6-3, 190 pounds, the left wing. He was selected as the New Jersey since Brian Lawton, who was in New Brunswick, but played in a prep school in Rhode Island, was the No. 1 choice all Minnesota North Stars in 1983 .

Van Riemsdyk, who scored the winning goal for the state championship parochial in its last game at Christian Brothers Academy Lincroft, played for the American hockey program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for two years, then spent two years at the University of New Hampshire.

When Van Riemsdyk was drafted Ron Rolston, one of his coaches USA Hockey (and brother of Brian Rolston Devils before), says of him: "I think a lot of its progress is in front of him."

Only 12 months and a half ago, he signed with the Flyers and played briefly for their farm team, the Philadelphia Phantoms. But even as a first-round pick, a spot with the Flyers this season has not been ensured. He made the team and scored 15 goals in 78 games.

Van Riemsdyk was drafted a point behind Buffalo striker named Patrick Kane, who scored 46 goals for the Blackhawks, while van Riemsdyk was in New Hampshire. Kane has played for the U.S. Winter Olympics. Van Riemsdyk moved to its own pace.

"These expectations have been around him for a long time", Blair Betts, the veteran forward for the Flyers, said Friday. "I do not think it was something he was unaccustomed. It has been a success. It is just a kind of Guy Reserved. Good kid. Takes his job seriously. Delivered to the rink and work hard. "

Van Riemsdyk, who will celebrate his 21th birthday on May 4, lives alone in an apartment not far from practice rink in Voorhees Flyers, NJ It focuses primarily on hockey, but he likes the Flyers' community outreach programs, such as visiting children in hospitals.

Although he said his rookie season was an unqualified success, there have been some bumps. He scored one goal in his last 20 games. His ice time has decreased slightly. He understands that he needs to be bigger and stronger to cope with the grind.

Darroll Powe, a 24 year old striker who played for the Flyers in Princeton, said: "Clearly, the most important thing from the university level pro is the timing. He learned to prepare to play 80 games instead of 30 games.

Powe, who is in his full season in the NHL for the second van Riemsdyk said: "For a guy coming out of college, there is a lot of things. This is your first time to have a job. You are yourself first. You have all these games. But James realized fairly quickly. "

Van Riemsdyk has learned to rely on the Flyers Vetera.