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Jim Vandermeer
Jim Vandermeer
	Vandermeer in 2013
Born	February 21, 1980 (age 44); Caroline, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers; Chicago Blackhawks; Calgary Flames; Phoenix Coyotes; Edmonton Oilers; San Jose Sharks; Kloten Flyers; Belfast Giants
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2001–2019

James Patrick Vandermeer (born February 21, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who last played for the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Vandermeer previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Amateur

Vandermeer capped-off a four-year career (1997–2001) with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL) winning the Memorial Cup in 2001, while leading the WHL that season in plus/minus, with a +49. The recipient of the WHL Humanitarian of the Year award in 2001, Vandermeer served as the team's captain from 1999 to 2001, and amassed over 700 PIM in his four years in Red Deer.

Professional

On December 21, 2000, Vandermeer signed with the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent.^[1] He made his professional AHL debut with the Philadelphia Phantoms during the 2001–02 season. On January 2, 2003, Vandermeer made his NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers playing against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

On February 19, 2004, Vandermeer was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks with Colin Fraser and a 2004 second round draft pick in exchange for Alexei Zhamnov.^[2] During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Vandermeer played with the Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate to the Chicago Blackhawks. Vandermeer re-signed with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2005 to 2008. He was named one of the team's alternate captains for select games and earned over $3 million during this time.

On December 18, 2007, Vandermeer was traded back to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Ben Eager.^[3]^[4] On February 20, 2008, Vandermeer was traded by the Flyers to the Calgary Flames for a third round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.^[5]

On July 1, 2008, Vandermeer signed a three-year deal worth $6.9 million as an unrestricted free agent with the Calgary Flames.^[6] On June 27, 2009, Vandermeer was traded by the Flames to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Brandon Prust.^[7]

On April 7, 2010, Vandermeer was named Man of the Year by the Phoenix Coyotes.^[8] On June 30, 2010, Vandermeer was traded by the Coyotes to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Patrick O'Sullivan.^[9]

During the 2010–11 season with the Oilers, Vandermeer was named one of the alternate captains for select games. On March 22, 2011, Vandermeer recorded his 100th career point vs the Nashville Predators with an assist on a goal by Jordan Eberle.

On July 1, 2011, Vandermeer became an unrestricted free agent and signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the San Jose Sharks.^[10]^[11]

On January 14, 2013, after the lockout ended, Vandermeer continued his journeyman career in signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks that paid him $600,000 at the NHL level and $275,000 at the AHL level.^[11]^[12] Vandermeer spent the majority of the shortened season with the Canucks AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, and was named one of the team's alternate captains for select games.

On September 6, 2013, Vandermeer signed a one-year contract in Switzerland with the Kloten Flyers of the NLA.^[13]^[14] He signed one-year contract extensions with the Kloten Flyers in November 2013,^[15] and September 2014.^[16]

On February 2, 2016, Vandermeer signed with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League.^[17] Vandermeer re-signed with the Giants in August 2017 for the 2017–18 season, becoming Belfast's player/assistant coach alongside head coach Adam Keefe in the process.^[18] Vandermeer remained with Belfast until the end of the 2018–19 season.

Personal

Born and raised in Caroline, Alberta,^[6] Vandermeer has a brother, Pete, a pro hockey player himself.

Vandermeer and his wife, Stefanie, were introduced by their mutual friend Brent Seabrook in 2007. They were married on July 3, 2009, in Vancouver. NHL stars Brent Seabrook and James Wisniewski served as groomsmen. They reside in Vancouver during the offseason. They have two children, a son, born in 2013 and a daughter, born in 2014.

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1997–98	Red Deer Chiefs AAA	AMHL	26	4	8	12	51	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	35	0	3	3	55	2	0	0	0	0
1998–99	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	70	5	23	28	258	9	0	1	1	24
1999–00	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	71	8	30	38	221	4	0	1	1	16
2000–01	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	72	21	44	65	180	22	3	13	16	43
2001–02	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	74	1	13	14	88	5	0	2	2	14
2002–03	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	48	4	8	12	122	—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	24	2	1	3	27	8	0	1	1	9
2003–04	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	26	1	6	7	120	—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	23	3	2	5	25	—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	23	2	10	12	58	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	52	3	10	13	164	—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	76	6	18	24	116	—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	46	1	6	7	53	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	26	2	7	9	44	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	28	1	5	6	27	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Calgary Flames	NHL	21	0	2	2	39	7	0	0	0	4
2008–09	Calgary Flames	NHL	45	1	6	7	108	6	0	1	1	4
2009–10	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	62	4	8	12	60	—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	62	2	12	14	74	—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	San Jose Sharks	NHL	25	1	3	4	33	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Chicago Wolves	AHL	34	5	5	10	66	—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Kloten Flyers	NLA	49	2	10	12	86	16	1	0	1	26
2014–15	Kloten Flyers	NLA	43	3	7	10	39	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Belfast Giants	EIHL	12	2	10	12	31	2	0	1	1	12
2016–17	Belfast Giants	EIHL	50	8	17	25	87	3	0	1	1	0
2017–18	Belfast Giants	EIHL	33	7	16	23	86	2	1	1	2	0
2018–19	Belfast Giants	EIHL	48	4	16	20	31	4	1	3	4	8
NHL totals			436	25	80	105	590	21	0	2	2	17

Awards and honours

Award	Year
WHL Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy	2000–01
WHL West First Team All-Star	2000–01	^[19]
CHL Humanitarian of the Year Award	2000–01
WHL Plus-Minus Award	2000–01
AHL Philadelphia Phantoms Most Coachable Player Award	2000–01
AHL Philadelphia Phantoms Most Coachable Player Award	2001–02
NHL Phoenix Coyotes Man of the Year Award	2009–10
EIHL Belfast Giants Defenseman of the Year Award	2016–17

References

^ "Flyers sign overlooked free agent Vandermeer". The Morning Call. 22 December 2000. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Zhamnov on way to Flyers". Chicago Tribune. 20 February 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Flyers trade Eager to Blackhawks for Vandermeer". CBC News. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ Panaccio, Tim (20 December 2007). "Flyers pick up a meat-and-potatoes defenseman". philly.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Flames trade for defenceman Vandermeer". CBC News. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Sawmill sharpened Flame's work ethic". Calgary Herald. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Vandermeer adds grit to Oilers". London Free Press. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Coyotes announce annual team award winners". NHL.com. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Oilers trade O'Sullivan to Coyotes for Vandermeer". San Diego Tribune. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Sharks sign D Vandermeer to open free agency". NHL.com. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
^ ^a ^b "JIM VANDERMEER". CapGeek.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
^ "Canucks sign veteran defenseman Vandermeer". NHL.com. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
^ "Kloten Flyers sign Peter Mueller, Jim Vandermeer" (in German). Kloten Flyers. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
^ "Kloten Flyers sign foreigners Vandermeer (33) and Mueller (25)". Swiss Hockey News. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Kloten Flyers extend contracts with Vandermeer and Schelling". Swiss Hockey News. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Kloten Flyers extend contracts of Gerber, Vandermeer and Stoop". Swiss Hockey News. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Belfast Giants sign ex-NHL star Vandermeer". BBC Sport. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
^ "Experienced defenceman Jim Vandermeer extends his contract with the Belfast Giants". BBC Sport. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
^ Jesse Watts (2014). Western Hockey League 2014-2015 Official Guide (PDF). pp. 242–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.

External links

Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Simon Gamache	Winner of the CHL Humanitarian of the Year Award 2001	Succeeded by Brandin Cote
Preceded by Chris Nielsen	Winner of the WHL Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy 2001	Succeeded by Brandin Cote
Preceded by Kenton Smith	Winner of the WHL Plus-Minus Award 2001	Succeeded by Matt Hubbauer