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Jim Vandermeer

Written by Joanne M. Jaworski

Professional hockey has had its share of families playing the sport over the years, from the Howes and the Hulls to the six Sutter brothers. Not to be outdone, the small town of Caroline, Alberta has produced six hockey-playing brothers from the Vandermeer family. Four of them are playing professionally and two are just entering the junior ranks. In Philadelphia, two of those boys, Jim and Peter, are fortunate to play on the same team, the Phantoms.

The younger of the two, Jim, first started skating when he was three. He does not recall if he was playing any kind of organized hockey then, but his whole family started really young.

"I remember watching my older brothers play, and got into it right away," he recalls. The 22-year-old, who laced up his first pair of skates in 1983, has blossomed into a 6-1, 210-pound American Hockey League defenseman and a force to be reckoned with.

Hockey became a way of life for the Vandermeer family. "We all did normal teenager activities like hanging out with friends," said Jim. "But since most of my friends and all of my brothers were into hockey, we helped each other along the way." It was the start of a long journey for Jim towards a professional hockey career.

"When I was younger, playing at a professional level was always a dream," he added. "When I was playing junior hockey in Red Deer, it didn't seem like I was going to reach that dream. However, the older I got, the more realistic it seemed." Eventually it became a reality, thus proving that some dreams do come true.

The highlight of Jim's playing career so far has been winning the Memorial Cup his last year in juniors. "It is definitely something I will never forget." Playing in juniors also proved to be an encouraging experience. The best advice given to him was to "just lay everything on the line... work hard and hopefully you will succeed in whatever it is you are doing, whether it is in sports or in life." Jim's coach in Red Deer, Brent Sutter, used those words to push him to the next level.

Vandermeer still follows those words, but also offers his own advice to young fans that have similar hopes and aspirations of playing hockey at a professional level. "In order to succeed, just stay with it. Hard work will get you to where you want to be."

Jim is entering his second year playing alongside his brother Peter as a Phantom. It is only appropriate that they play together in Philadelphia; after all, it is the City of Brotherly Love. "It's been a lot of fun," said Jim. "We have each other to help motivate one another when we need it and give each other a pat on the back in ways a teammate can't."

Last season as a rookie, Jim totaled a goal and 13 assists in 74 games, while receiving the Phantoms' Most Coachable Player Award. As the 2002-03 season gets under way, Jim is focused. "I'm looking forward to having a solid year. We're going to take it one game at a time, and I'll do the best I can to help the Phantoms reach their goal of winning the Calder Cup." And like all AHL players, Jim hopes his dedication and determination will forge the road to the NHL in the future.

Jim's interests range outside the scope of ice, pucks and hockey sticks. If he weren't playing hockey, there are a few different areas that he is interested in. "Someday, I would like to get involved in law enforcement... or where I grew up, there are a lot of oil fields, so something like that. Or working at my father's lumber mill is always an option."

But for now, he is content with playing professional hockey. Looking back, Jim doesn't feel he missed out on anything during his childhood, as he states, "There are some things I could've done, but if you look at where I am at now, I wouldn't trade that for anything."