James van Riemsdyk found himself in a very familiar position on Wednesday afternoon as he was introduced to the Philadelphia media as the newest member of the Philadelphia Flyers. The difference between now and then is that this time he has 609 regular season games and 59 playoff games under his belt, as well as lessons from various different NHL head coaches including Mike Babcock.
During his time in front of the media on Wednesday, the 29-year-old was asked what it was like to play for Babcock and how he helped him improve his game and he had this to say.
“He wanted to be part of a winning team and a winning culture and he was very demanding of his players,” van Riemsdyk said. “He was a communicator and you pretty much knew where you stood at all times with him.”
“The longer you play you realize certain details are very important. As a winger, that’s making good plays along the wall in your own end and giving your defencemen time to go back and pick up pucks. Little things like that are what make you really reliable.”
“I think that was good to learn from (Babcock). As a player, it’s nice to learn little tricks like that, that you can use for the rest of your career.”
JVR returns to the city that gave him his first shot in the NHL, only he’ll be rocking a new number this time around as he’ll continue to use No. 25 instead of No. 21 going forward.
The 2007 second overall pick also revealed to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman that he knew he wasn’t returning to the Maple Leafs before the free agency period even started, but mentioned that he had nothing but respect for the Maple Leafs due to how they handled the entire situation.
Van Riemsdyk has played 413 of his 609 career games in a Maple Leafs uniform and totaled 154 goals and 140 assists for 294 points in that span.
(H/T NBC Sports Philadelphia)
