Reimer made his NHL debut at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 20, 2010. He came back to beat his former team on his milestone night.
Reimer made his NHL debut at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 20, 2010. He came back to beat his former team on his milestone night.
James Reimer came up through the Toronto Maple Leafs out of obscurity.
Drafted by the club in the fourth round (99th overall) in the 2006 NHL Draft, and injury to Jean Sebastian Giguere forced an earlier-than-expected callup during the 2010-11 season.
On Dec. 20, 2010, the Maple Leafs were hosting the Atlanta Thrashers. After Jonas Gustavsson allowed five goals on 18 shots, he was pulled in favor of Reimer who made his NHL debut.
"I came in the last 10 minutes against Atlanta, which shows how old I am," Reimer said as he recalled that moment.
Four hundred and ninety-nine games later, Reimer was back at Scotiabank Area, as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, helping his club edge the Leafs 5-4 in overtime to get a much-needed two points to keep their slim playoff chances alive.
Picking up his 500th game, Reimer was all smiles when he spoke to reporters after the game. He understood the hype surrounding Auston Matthews looking to get his 70th goal in his final game of the regular season.
"He asked me for one during the game and so I gave it to him. But he didn’t ask for two," Reimer joked with reporters. "I knew he’s had a lot of goals this year and he’s one of the best goal-scorers in this league. You just try to limit him. Lucky enough for me. I was able to get in the way of a few and squeak it out."
Reimer was the last player to wear No. 34 on the Leafs before Matthews donned the weather following his first NHL training camp in 2016. But Reimer's tenure in Toronto certainly hasn't been forgotten.
"To come back and play my 500th here it makes it pretty special. There were some lows when I was here in Toronto with me, my family and my wife. But some incredible highs. This is where I was drafted and where I came up. I owe so much to this organization. It was fun to do it full circle in the barn where I came up. It was nice to get here too and steal a few points from them."
Reimer was the goaltender of record for the club's first playoff berth in nine years back in 2013. Down 3-1 in their first-round series with the Boston Bruins stood on his head for Games 5 and 6 and forced an improbably Game 7. We all know by now how that ended.
The goaltender ended his tenure in Toronto on a positive note. In 207 games played over his first six seasons, Reimer posted a .914 save percentage before two stops with the San Jose Sharks, the Florida Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes and his team in Detroit.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6XB4DiJ4EY[/embed]
For all the criticism the Maple Leafs had about not developing their own goaltenders, Reimer may have been the last example of it. And being in the league enough to have played against the Thrashers is quite the flex. But probably one that is deserved for the 36-year-old.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORBJBMqKegA[/embed]
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