No detail too small for van Riemsdyk, Leafs’ meticulous hockey nerd
TORONTO — Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk has a vitamin container so elaborate that teammate Tyler Bozak is reminded of his grandma’s pill box.
“He’s got every vitamin in its compartment and I couldn’t even tell you what 95 per cent of them are,” a smiling Bozak says.
An admitted hockey nerd who’s enjoying the best season of his NHL career, van Riemsdyk is always on the hunt for an edge when it comes to training, nutrition, equipment or even shampoo — Bozak says he uses a different kind than the rest of the team. No detail is too small for the 27-year-old, from the flex and curve of his stick to more unusual stuff like shampoo and all those vitamins.
“I think always growing up I was always really a freak,” the New Jersey native says of his meticulous approach. “When you take care of things like that and you’re trying to find an edge in that way too, you feel better game in and game out and you’re able to play better game in and game out.”