Van Riemsdyk homecoming highlighted by mother's birthday ahead of Bruins playing Devils

BOSTON -- James van Riemsdyk didn't grow up a fan of the New Jersey Devils back in Middletown, New Jersey, but the Boston Bruins forward certainly has fond memories of the Meadowlands-era Devils and beyond. Plus, a trip to Prudential Center in Newark always comes with the stands full of family and a raucous cheering section.

This trip, though, provides extra incentive.

James' mother, Allison, happened to have her birthday Tuesday, which meant he got to join in on the evening's dinner festivities in Hoboken ahead of the game between the Bruins and Devils on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, MSGSN, TNT).

"Hopefully it'll be a nice little birthday present, a big win, and maybe a goal or something tomorrow," van Riemsdyk said.

The Bruins signed the 34-year-old forward to a one-year, $1 million contract July 1, a bargain-basement signing for a player with a lengthy NHL resume. In eight seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers and six for the Toronto Maple Leafs -- plus 25 games this season with the Bruins -- van Riemsdyk has 607 points (305 goals, 302 assists) in 965 games. That includes the 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) he has in 2023-24.

When van Riemsdyk was entering free agency in the offseason, he wanted to make sure he landed in a place that was a good fit, where his skill set aligned with what they needed, along with a chance to win. Though he's played 71 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, (31 points; 20 goals, 11 assists), he hasn't played in the postseason since 2020 for the Flyers.

"Ultimately you want to be in a place where you think you can contribute and a team that needs what you bring to the table," he said. "You want to be in a good situation on a good team and also a place where you think they need you and you fit in."

Though van Riemsdyk practiced on a line with Matthew Poitras and Danton Heinen on Tuesday, he has played most of the season with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic, a defensively stout, hard-nosed line that has arguably been the Bruins' best and most consistent this season.

Why?

"It's a good question," Coyle said. "Sometimes things just click. We try to talk and chat in the locker room, off the ice, certain plays. And 'Freddy's' a great mix to that too, where me and Freddy have played together and are very comfortable with each other, and 'JVR' is just a guy where you can just jell with him whether it's off the ice, on the ice. He's a pretty low-key guy and easy to get along with.

"He just has that all-around game where he can play offensively and be sound defensively as well. That's what we need to break pucks out in our own zone and be on the offensive side of things more, and we do it the right way and we play the right way. We're big bodies too, so we get on the forecheck and hang onto pucks, don't force anything. We all have sort of poise in our own way."

Van Riemsdyk, for the most part, has been happy with the way he's played this season, especially after a down year statistically for the Flyers last season, when he had 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 61 games.

And, really, it all comes down to that area in front of the net.

"It's not only the shots, it's where he's getting the shots from and most importantly the deflections," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "If he's at the net front getting deflections, he's going to score goals, because the deflections create rebounds and he's really adept at putting rebounds home."

It's something van Riemsdyk considers an art, enabling an easy play of funneling a puck to the net to turn into a dangerous chance, a frustrating one for the opponent. 

"I think there's an art to it as far as timing and things like that, depending on situationals," he said. "Obviously on the power play, you're more parked there and you want to just be there, but 5-on-5 I've learned to evolve that over the years. I don't really just want to be standing there the whole shift.

"There are still parts of the game where I want to try to help be an outlet to keep possession alive and to make more plays and expand your game, so you're more comfortable in different areas. But certainly, that's an area that I'm super comfortable and confident in."

For Coyle, there has been something a bit surprising in van Riemsdyk's game this season. He knew about those deflections and his work in the dirty areas around the net. But the passing? That's been something he didn't necessarily expect. 

"The passes he makes and the poise he has with the puck, I think is really special for a bigger guy (6-foot-3, 208 pounds) like that," Coyle said. "There's been some plays where you don't even see that it's there or you're skating up the ice and he puts it over a stick or right onto your stick in transition. Those are really great plays to have, especially as a centerman coming through with speed in the middle and getting the puck like that."

It's a thing van Riemsdyk has thought about over the years as a player whose goals and assists have historically been about even. 

Maybe, he thinks, his passing got overlooked?

"You can use it to your advantage," he said. 

Van Riemsdyk knows he's in the latter part of his NHL career. He knows that when the Bruins signed him, part of his role was as a person that younger players could look to, noticing the habits and the details, talking on the bench and building momentum for the team.

"I think if you just continually do the right things and set a good example -- whether that's playing in the games, how you prepare for practice, being ready to go every day -- I think that's something I've always tried to do," he said. 

It's working. 

And, hey, if it gets him home for his mom's birthday, so much the better.