James Reimer
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

James Reimer (; born March 15, 1988) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...
for the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). Reimer has also played in the NHL for the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
,
Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...
,
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
,
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
,
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
and
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
. He was selected by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round (99th overall) of the 2006 NHL entry draft. He started playing
minor hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...
in his hometown when he was 12. He played
junior hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from t ...
with the
Red Deer Rebels The Red Deer Rebels are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta. The Rebels are members of the Western Hockey League and play home games at the Marchant Crane Centrium. The Rebels won the President's Cup and the Mem ...
of the
Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
(WHL), after being selected in the fifth round of the 2003 WHL bantam draft. After turning professional, Reimer played with the
South Carolina Stingrays The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston ...
and
Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown R ...
of the
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
, as well as the
Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
of the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL). He was named the most valuable player of the ECHL playoffs, as the Stingrays won the
Kelly Cup The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
in
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
. Reimer made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs during the 2010–11 season and went on to replace
Jean-Sébastien Giguère Jean-Sébastien Giguère (; born May 16, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played with the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and was drafted 13th overall by the Hartford Whalers ...
as the Maple Leafs' starting goaltender. Reimer plays for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
internationally, and first represented his country at the 2011 World Championship.


Playing career


Minor

Reimer started playing
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...
when his older brother, Mark, needed practice shooting but had no goaltender. A local
minor hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...
manager heard about his prowess in goal, and recruited him. His parents were unsure if minor hockey was the right fit for their son, so he did not play organized hockey until he was 12. He was first noticed by agent Ray Petkau when he was 13, after playing with a church team at a tournament in
Steinbach, Manitoba Steinbach () is the List of cities in Manitoba, third-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada, and with a population of 17,806, the largest community in the Eastman Region, Manitoba, Eastman region. The city, located about southeast of ...
. As of November 2011, Petkau was still his representative. Reimer played his last seasons of minor hockey for the Interlake Lightning of the Manitoba "AAA" Midget league. He was the team's rookie of the year and top scholastic player after the 2002–03 season, and the most valuable player after the 2004–05 season.


Junior

Reimer was selected by the
Red Deer Rebels The Red Deer Rebels are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta. The Rebels are members of the Western Hockey League and play home games at the Marchant Crane Centrium. The Rebels won the President's Cup and the Mem ...
of the
Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
(WHL) in the fifth round of the 2003 WHL bantam braft, with a pick that originally belonged to the
Spokane Chiefs The Spokane Chiefs are an American major junior ice hockey team based in Spokane, Washington. The Chiefs play in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference, playing home games at Spokane Arena. The Chiefs are two-time M ...
. The team drafted Reimer largely on the word of a single scout, Carter Sears. After Reimer performed poorly during his first training camp with the club, Rebels head coach
Brent Sutter Brent Colin Sutter (born June 10, 1962) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player and former head coach of the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL entry draft, Sut ...
wanted to release him, but Sears was persistent in his support for Reimer. Reimer made the club in his third attempt after having been cut the previous two seasons. His first season in the WHL was a poor one for the Rebels; Reimer played 34 games, recording only 7 wins. Reimer broke his hand late in the season, an injury which cost him a chance to play for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
at the
2006 IIHF World U18 Championships The 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Ängelholm and Halmstad, Sweden. The championships began on April 12, 2006 and finished on April 22, 2006. Games were played at Lindab Arena, Ängelholms Ishall in Ängelholm and Sannarps Isstadion ...
. Reimer was selected by the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) in the fourth round, 99th overall, of the 2006 NHL entry draft. John Ferguson, Jr., the Maple Leafs' general manager at the time, remembers Reimer as an unfinished product needing time to develop, being "somewhat raw". At the time of the draft, Reimer was preparing for his high school graduation and did not attend the event in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. He said, "I made a decision not to pay a lot of attention because I was reluctant to get my hopes too high." His agent, Ray Petkau, called with the news about being drafted and later brought him his Maple Leafs jersey and hat that draftees receive. Prior to the draft, Reimer had mentioned he would like to be drafted by the
Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
, saying, "I'd love to play hockey in all that sunshine." Reimer attended training camp with the Maple Leafs in 2006 and 2007, but was returned to the Rebels both times. During the
2006–07 WHL season The 2006–07 WHL season was the 41st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Twenty-one teams completed a 72-game season, with the Chilliwack Bruins competing in their inaugural season. The Everett Silvertips won their first Scotty Munro ...
, he played in 60 games with the Rebels, recording 26 wins, 23 losses and 7 ties, the only season in his WHL career Reimer finished with a winning record. The
2007–08 WHL season The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The Tri-City Americans won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best regular seaso ...
was Reimer's final season in the WHL. He suffered a torn ligament in his ankle and only appeared in 30 games. In March 2008, the Maple Leafs signed Reimer to a three-year contract worth an annual base salary of $555,000, the minimum for an NHL player at the time. The deal included a $180,000 signing bonus and playing incentives that could increase the total value of the contract to $1.8 million.


Professional


Toronto Maple Leafs

After attending the Maple Leafs' training camp in September 2008, Reimer was assigned to their affiliate, the
Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
, of the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL). After starting the season with the Marlies, he was assigned to the
Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown R ...
of the
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
. He was recalled by the Marlies and recorded his first AHL win by a score of 3–2 in a
shootout A shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a confrontation in which parties armed with firearms exchange gunfire. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to ...
on December 27, 2008, against the
Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre. The fran ...
. In two stints with the Marlies, Reimer had a record of one win and two losses, with a
goals against average Goals against average (GAA), also known as average goals against (AGA), is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on spo ...
(GAA) of 3.28 and a .882
save percentage Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various Goal (sports), goal-scoring sports that track Save (goaltender), saves as a statistic. In ice hockey and lacrosse and association football, it is a sta ...
. With the Royals, Reimer had a record of ten wins, seven losses and three ties. At the ECHL trade deadline, Reimer was moved to the
South Carolina Stingrays The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston ...
, a team that had gone through eight goaltenders during the season. The deal was facilitated to expose Reimer to post-season experience, as the Royals were out of playoff contention. While with the Stingrays, Reimer helped them win the 2009 Kelly Cup championship. Recording four wins and one shutout over eight games in the post-season, he was named the ECHL playoffs Most Valuable Player. After attending the Maple Leafs' training camp ahead of the
2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation (92nd season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). It ran from October 1, 2009—including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010 Stanley C ...
, Reimer was again sent down to the AHL. As part of the Marlies' pre-season, Reimer competed in the Gardiner Cup, held as part of Scotland's 2009 Homecoming celebrations. He stopped 33 shots in the final as the Marlies lost 3–1 to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Back in the AHL, he spent the majority of the 2009–10 season with the Marlies, playing in 26 games and recording 14 wins. He had a GAA of 2.25 and a save percentage of .925. Reimer was called up by the Leafs on an emergency basis on October 13, 2009, when starting goaltender
Vesa Toskala Vesa Tapani Toskala (born May 20, 1977) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. After initially playing for his hometown team Ilves of the SM-liiga, Toskala played the majority of his professional career in the National Hockey ...
was injured. Serving as Joey MacDonald's backup, he did not receive any playing time in his first NHL call-up and was sent back to the Marlies on October 25. Reimer missed significant time with an ankle injury during the 2009–10 season. It was not the same ankle he injured during his final season with the Red Deer Rebels. At the outset of the
2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the List of NHL seasons, 94th season of operation (93rd Season (sport), season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup ...
, Reimer again was assigned to the AHL's Marlies. He was not expected to contribute to the Maple Leafs at the NHL level during the 2010–11 season. Expectations for the young netminder were low heading into the season, with head coach Ron Wilson saying, "We wanted him to play in the minors and continue to get better, develop and try to stay healthy." He was recalled by the Maple Leafs several months into the season, making his NHL debut on December 20, 2010, in relief of Jonas Gustavsson against the
Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
. He played 14 minutes in the third period, stopping all four shots he faced. Reimer made his first NHL start against the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
on January 1, 2011. The Maple Leafs won the game 5–1, with Reimer recording 32 saves while picking up his first career NHL win. On February 3, 2011, Reimer recorded 27 saves and picked up his first career NHL
shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
against the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
. A combination of injuries and poor play by Gustavsson and
Jean-Sébastien Giguère Jean-Sébastien Giguère (; born May 16, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played with the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and was drafted 13th overall by the Hartford Whalers ...
provided an opportunity for Reimer at the NHL level. His strong play caused the Leafs to carry three goaltenders on their NHL roster, a fact which did not surprise Giguère, who said, "The way he played the last time he was up, you knew he was going to get another chance." Ron Wilson acknowledged Reimer as the team's starting goaltender as they set out on a late-season run for a playoff spot, saying, "It's going to be his ball the rest of the way. As long as we stay in the race. And I think he's up to it." Reimer became a quick fan favourite during his rookie NHL season, earning the nicknames "Optimus Reim" and "The Statue". The former is a reference to the
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two Extraterrestrials in fiction, alien robot fac ...
protagonist
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, also known in Japan as is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Transformers'' franchise. Generally depicted as a brave and noble leader, Optimus Prime is the supreme commander of the Autobots in their fight ag ...
, while the latter resulted from head coach Wilson's attempts to suppress the hype around the rookie goaltender only a short time into his NHL career, saying, "There's all this ttentionaround here, a guy wins a game and we're ready to build a statue for him." Reimer's strong performance was recognized by the NHL when he was named Rookie of the Month for March 2011. Reimer would have become a
restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in some sports leagues, such as the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the term ...
on July 1, 2011, but he signed a three-year contract worth $5.4 million ($1.8 million
salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...
hit) on June 9, 2011. Reimer began the 2011–12 season as the starter going 4–0–1. He suffered an injury on October 22 in a game against the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
. During the game, Reimer was run into by
Brian Gionta Brian Joseph Gionta (born January 18, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Gionta began his NHL career in 2001 with the New Jersey Devils and served as captain fo ...
—he finished the first period, but did not return after the intermission. The team called the injury whiplash despite rumours that he was suffering from a concussion. Reimer missed 19 games with the injury, and struggled upon his return, yielding some starts to Gustavsson. After recording two back-to-back shutouts on February 1 and 4, Reimer seemed to have solidified the starting position once again. Near the end of March 2012, Reimer was starting to play to an acceptable standard again, but an upper-body injury (later revealed to be a neck injury) sidelined him for the remainder of the season from March 29. On April 9, he told the media he would be available by training camp in September 2012. Due to the
2012–13 NHL lockout 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to ...
, Reimer was afforded more time to heal and attended training camp in January 2013. Reimer held off an early challenge from rookie backup
Ben Scrivens Benjamin John Scrivens (born September 11, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is the current team manager of the University of Denver Pioneers. Scrivens has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for ...
to remain Toronto's starting goaltender. On February 11, Reimer suffered a MCL strain which kept him out of action for a little over two weeks; he won all three of his next starts after returning. Upon returning, Reimer backstopped the Maple Leafs to their first playoff berth since 2004 and finishing the regular season with a career best 2.46 GAA and .924 save percentage in 34 games. Prior to the 2013–14 season, the club acquired
Jonathan Bernier Jonathan Bernier (born August 7, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Los An ...
from the Los Angeles Kings. At the beginning of the season, Reimer and Bernier were splitting time in the Toronto goal, but as the season progressed, Bernier cemented his status as the Leafs' starting goaltender. Following the 2013–14 season, Reimer became a restricted free agent. Dissatisfied with his role as the Leafs' backup, he requested a trade from the Leafs. On July 25, 2014, the Leafs and Reimer avoided a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for the next week by agreeing to terms on a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.3 million. Reimer began the 2015–16 season as Bernier's backup, a role he had held since the team acquired the latter. However, Bernier was injured early in the season and Reimer was given starting duties. He took off with the job, going 3–0–0 with a 1.62 GAA and .952 save percentage to be named the third star for the week of November 9–15, 2015. Reimer would hold the position as Maple Leafs' starting goaltender for the rest of his tenure, earning praise for his play on a Toronto team that struggled throughout the year.


San Jose Sharks

As the February 29 trade deadline approached, Reimer's future with the rebuilding Maple Leafs became uncertain. On February 27, 2016, two days before the deadline, Reimer was traded to the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
(alongside Jeremy Morin) in exchange for
Alex Stalock Alexander Stalock ( ; born July 28, 1987) is an American sports commentator and former professional ice hockey goaltender. Stalock was originally drafted 112th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks, and also played for the Mi ...
, Ben Smith and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft (condition dependent on the Sharks reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, a condition met, converting the pick to a third-round pick on May 25, 2016). Reimer had the best five-on-five save percentage and the best Fenwick save percentage in the NHL for the 2015–16 season (1,200 minutes minimum time on ice) at .9404 and .9573 respectively.


Florida Panthers

On July 1, 2016, as an
unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
for the first time in his career, Reimer was signed to a five-year contract with the
Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...
. During his time in Florida, Reimer split goaltending duties with
Roberto Luongo Roberto Luongo (, , ; born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks. In 2022, Luongo was ...
, often playing more games due to Luongo's tendency towards injury. Reimer would earn his 100th win in the NHL during the 2016–17 season.


Carolina Hurricanes

After three seasons with the Florida Panthers, Reimer was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for
Scott Darling Scott Darling (born December 22, 1988) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes. Darling was selected by the ...
and a
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
sixth-round draft pick on June 30, 2019.


Second stint with San Jose

On July 28, 2021, having left the Hurricanes as an unrestricted free agent, Reimer returned to the San Jose Sharks, signing a two-year, $4.5 million contract.


Detroit Red Wings

On July 1, 2023, Reimer signed as an unrestricted free agent to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
.


Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks

On July 1, 2024, Reimer joined his sixth NHL club, initially adding a veteran presence in net to the Buffalo Sabres in signing a one-year, $1 million contract. Following training camp, the Sabres placed Reimer on waivers on October 6. On October 7, Reimer was claimed off waivers by the Anaheim Ducks. Remaining on the Ducks opening night roster as the backup, Reimer made two appearances to start the 2024–25 season losing both games he appeared in before he was later placed back on waivers following the return of starting goaltender John Gibson. On November 13, Reimer was re-claimed by the Sabres. Reimer made his debut for the Sabres on November 23 against the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
stopping 31 out of 33 shots and recording the win in a 4–2 victory.


International play

Reimer's first brush with international hockey came near the end of the 2005–06 season. He was selected to play for Team Canada at the
2006 IIHF World U18 Championships The 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Ängelholm and Halmstad, Sweden. The championships began on April 12, 2006 and finished on April 22, 2006. Games were played at Lindab Arena, Ängelholms Ishall in Ängelholm and Sannarps Isstadion ...
, but was unable to compete due to a broken hand he suffered while playing for Red Deer. After his strong rookie season in the NHL, Reimer received another invitation from Hockey Canada, this time to compete at the
2011 IIHF World Championship The 2011 IIHF World Championship was the 75th IIHF World Championship, an annual international men's ice hockey tournament. It took place between 29 April and 15 May 2011 in Slovakia. The games were played in the Ondrej Nepela Arena, Orange Aren ...
. Reimer got his first win in the tournament beating Belarus 4–1.


Playing style

Reimer plays in the
butterfly style In ice hockey, butterfly style is a technique of goaltending distinguished by the goaltender guarding the lower part of the Hockey rink#Goal posts and nets, net by dropping to the knees to block attempts to score. The butterfly style derives it ...
of goaltending. Observers have attributed Reimer's success during the 2010–11 season to his ability to maintain his focus and confidence. Reimer tries to focus on the basics of playing goal, feeling that the fundamentals of goaltending are the key to success, saying, "It's not about making the great save, or making a diving save or playing outside yourself. It's all about pushing, stopping, and being square and just relying on that. Most of the time if you let out a rebound the defenceman is there so it's more about being solid fundamentally."


Personal life

Reimer was born in
Arborg, Manitoba Arborg is a town located along the Icelandic River in Manitoba. The community is located 103 kilometres north of Winnipeg, at the junction of Manitoba Highways 7 and 68, in the Interlake Region of Manitoba, Canada. The town is surrounded by ...
, to parents Harold and Marlene Reimer. His father owns a business moving homes. He graduated from Morweena Christian High School in his hometown. His favourite hockey team growing up was the Toronto Maple Leafs and his favourite player was
Ed Belfour Edward John Belfour (born April 21, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the National Collegia ...
. Reimer met his wife, April, at a junior hockey game in
Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the List of cities in Saskatchewan, fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina, Saskatchewan, Re ...
,
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
. The couple has two daughters who were born in 2017 and 2019 in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
while Reimer was a member of the Panthers. Reimer is a practicing Christian, giving credit to God as a big part of his mental game. Citing his Christian faith, Reimer chose not to wear a
pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...
-themed jersey during warmups before a game on March 18, 2023. Reimer issued a statement reading, in part, "In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
, the highest authority in my life. I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, and the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey."


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reimer, James 1988 births Living people Anaheim Ducks players Buffalo Sabres players Canadian Christians Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Canadian Mennonites Carolina Hurricanes players Detroit Red Wings players Florida Panthers players Ice hockey people from Manitoba People from Interlake Region, Manitoba Reading Royals players Red Deer Rebels players San Jose Sharks players South Carolina Stingrays players Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks Toronto Maple Leafs players Toronto Marlies players 21st-century Canadian sportsmen