As one of the more active teams in free agency during the offseason, the Detroit Red Wings signed multiple new players for the 2025-26 NHL campaign, one of them being veteran James van Riemsdyk.
The second overall pick in 2007 by the Philadelphia Flyers (one spot behind now-teammate Patrick Kane, who went first overall to Chicago) already has 1,082 games of NHL experience, a factor that the Red Wings hope will pay dividends in their quest to end their postseason drought.
However, van Riemsdyk was unable to participate in Training Camp and the first several practices and games of the pre-season schedule, as he was dealing with a personal situation.
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That personal situation was revealed to be a blessing, as his wife gave birth to twin boys. One of his new sons required some extra time in the hospital, which understandably necessitated van Riemsdyk’s absence.
Following his first practice with the Red Wings this week, van Riemsdyk expressed thanks to the Red Wings organization and particularly to GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan for their understanding.
“First and foremost, I just really wanted to express my appreciation and gratefulness to the Red Wing organization, particularly Steve (Yzerman) and Todd (McLellan),” van Riemsdyk said after his first practice. “You come to a new team and you don’t really know everyone that well, but just how supportive they were the last few weeks, last few months actually, of dealing with some stuff, with the birth of our twins and just some stuff related to that with the pregnancy for my wife, just how great they were with me.”
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van Riemsdyk also lauded the strength of his wife in dealing with the situation, which thankfully appears to have resulted in everything being fine with his now-larger family.
“One of them had some little extra time in the hospital. It’s obviously emotional thing dealing with stuff with your family, with your newborns and it keeps things in perspective. Definitely lucky to have a wife that’s very strong and did such a great job through the whole thing and obviously just feeling the support of all my family and support system and the organization here.”
Depending on how the rest of the pre-season, which has only two games remaining, goes, van Riemsdyk could potentially see time on Detroit’s top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
He’ll also likely see time on Detroit’s power-play as a net-front presence, much in the same style as four-time Stanley Cup winner Tomas Holmstrom, who made his living by making life a living nightmare for opposition goaltenders.
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