When it comes to producing big-time talent, there is no shortage of star power from the coastal town of Middletown, N. Chicago White Sox Carlos Quentin Jersey .J. Rockers Jon Bon Jovi, Debbie Harry and E Street Band members Steven Van Zandt and Max Weinberg were raised there. So were television personalities Geraldo Rivera, Connie Chung and Maury Povich. In other words, Philadelphia Flyers rookie James van Riemsdyk may have a ways to go before he is recognized as the most talented native of the Monmouth County town of 66,000. Known by most of his teammates as "JVR," van Riemsdyk (pronounced van-REEMS-dike) has grown accustomed to chasing other peoples expectations. For the past two years he has endured comparisons to Chicago Blackhawks star right wing Patrick Kane, the only player taken ahead of him in the 2007 Entry Draft. Fans who saw Kane run away with Calder Trophy as an 18-year-old wondered why van Riemsdyk chose to play two seasons in relative anonymity at the University of New Hampshire, twice snubbing the Flyers suggestions he turn pro. Yet here he is, physically matured at 20 years old, proving to the Flyers that he is, indeed, worth the wait. ROOKIE WATCH Demers stands out of star-studded lineup Dan Rosen - NHL.com Staff Writer On a team loaded with some of the top players in the NHL, rookie d-man Jason Demers has seized a spot on the blue line and wont let go. READ MORE ›   Perreault proving to be a perfect fit with Capitals Patience paying off early for Devils Bergfors Benching gives Wilson a kick in the hockey pants ALL ROOKIE WATCH STORIES › "Overall, Im very pleased with James," said Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren, who spent a year at the University of Minnesota before joining the Flyers as a 20-year-old rookie in 1976. "He made the team on merit and now hes in a position to get better and better in practices and games. "Whether he stays here is up to him. Can he make it on his ability? Absolutely. But we wont just give him the job." In his first 21 NHL games, van Riemsdyk picked up 6 goals and 13 assists, but learned quickly that even at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, the NHL packs a wallop. In his home debut against the Washington Capitals, van Riemsdyk was drilled headfirst into the boards by 6-4, 233-pound Capitals defenseman Milan Jurcina, suffering a head injury that kept him out of two games. Van Riemsdyk returned to the lineup a week later and picked up his fourth assist in four games. Despite his early play** ability, van Riemsdyk is expected to make his mark as an NHL goal scorer built in the likeness of three-time 50-goal scorer John LeClair. "James maybe has a little more speed than Johnny, but you can tell hes got the skill, hes got the talent and hes got the size," Flyers left wing Simon Gagne, a teammate of LeClairs then and van Riemsdyks now, said. "Thats something the Flyers have always liked." Really, its something every hockey coach in North America always has liked. In his 25 years of coaching youth hockey at the Ocean Ice Palace in Brick, N.J., Alex DePalma has seen his share of promising players. No one, however, comes close to the raw talent he noticed 10 years ago in a lanky, 10-year-old from nearby Middletown. "When James made a move, you could hear the boys on both benches saying, Whoa!" DePalma recalls. "He had that Wow Factor even at 10 years old." The oldest of three boys, van Riemsdyk began skating at the age of 3 at the urging of his father, Frans, who was born in the Netherlands, moved to Montreal as a child, and grew up in Madison, N.J. Frans van Riemsdyk met his wife, Allison, at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and the two settled in Middletown. James began playing for the Brick Hockey Club at age 9, leading his team to a 42-0 record in its first two seasons under DePalma and Frans van Riemsdyk. James van Riemsdyk went on to play at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, N.J., where he led the Colts to the 2005 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public A championship, scoring the game-winning overtime goal at Continental Airlines Arena (now Izod Center) in East Rutherford. "That was pretty cool," van Riemsdyk said. "Ive scored at different levels, but its a whole different feeling when you win a championship with all your friends there. It meant a lot to a lot of people." "We scouted a number of players that year. James was an explosive young player and we figured at that time he was not as good as hes going to be. We figured hed grow into that big frame." -- Flyers GM Paul Holmgren Following his sophomore season at CBA, van Riemsdyk took DePalmas advice and moved to the U.S. National Team Development Program, in Ann Arbor, Mich. "He needed to go to that next level of coaching and players," DePalma said. "He had grown out of what we could give." Over the next two seasons, van Riemsdyk blossomed into one of the top prospects in the world, leading the USNTDP with 31 goals in 49 games. The Flyers, who were on their way to finishing with the NHLs worst record in 2006-07, were hot on his trail. "We scouted a number of players that year," said Holmgren, noting the Flyers interest in Kane, Coyotes forward Kyle Turris, Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner and Oilers forward Sam Gagner. "James was an explosive young player and we figured at that time he was not as good as he’s going to be. We figured hed grow into that big frame." With more than 30 friends and family attending the 2007 Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio, van Riemsdyk was taken by the Flyers with the second pick, right after Chicago chose Kane. While van Riemsdyk spent the next two years at the University of New Hampshire, where he matured physically and emotionally, Kane took the NHL by storm. "Its not pressure at all," van Riemsdyk said of the comparisons to Kane. "It gives me more confidence because I put myself on a similar level and hes having good success. Hopefully, I can follow. "Its been an incredible ride so far. This was a life-long dream of mine and I know it requires a lot of hard work, but Im enjoying every minute of it." Brandon Marshall Jersey . Webber made it 10 straight winners from pole position at the Circuit de Catalunya after the Australian drove a flawless race for a 24-second victory over Alonso. "It was a crucial pole," said Webber, who celebrated his third career victory by throwing his helmet into the stands. Giants Tim Lincecum Jersey . As Beijings prop-erty prices continue to soar, 28-year-old IT technician Fang Tiesuo is starting to consider his options. Rams Jersey . Its also a game that also promises valuable points to a pair of teams that are challenging for the Northeast Division lead. You can see all the action on TSN and follow TSN. Lance Moore Jersey . Le ministre Moore a fait valoir, samedi sur sa page, que les Canucks de Vancouver étaient léquipe du Canada dans ces séries éliminatoires de la Ligue nationale de hockey, en ne faisant aucune mention du Canadien de Montréal, qui sest lui aussi faufilé dans la deuxième ronde des séries. Eagles LeSean McCoy Jersey .C. -- Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney insists hes still undecided and his phone isnt ringing as he prepares to use the top pick in next weeks NFL draft. CHENGDU: Some 4.1 million students in quake-hit southwest Chinas Sichuan province have moved from temporary, prefabricated school facilities into regular school buildings for the start of the spring semester, an official said Friday. Ninety-five percent of the disaster-affected students can now study in regular schools, said He Shaoyong, deputy director of Sichuan Provincial Education Department. Related readings:  Spring festival tourism booms in quake-hit Sichuan Province  Sichuan to finish 90 pct of reconstruction in 2010  Sichuan survivors: all our hearts are with haiti  Sichuan candidates sit for postgraduate exam The province will have rebuilt more than 85 percent of the 3,000 destroyed or seriously daamaged schools by the end of February. Premier Brian Orakpo Jersey. The remaining will be rebuilt by the end of 2010, He said. The rebuilt schools can at least resist up to a 8.0-magnitude earthquake, He said. China has pledged to make the rebuilt schools the safest places in Sichuan, requiring their earthquake resistance to be one magnitude higher than other new buildings. These schools will become emergency shelters if another earthquake strikes, said He. Sichuan employs one psychological counselor for every 1,500 students in the disaster-stricken areas, said He. More than 5,000 school students were killed, or are still listed as missing, in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Sichuan May 12, 2008. In total, more than 86,000 people were killed or are still listed as missing. ' ' '