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May 4 Hockey Birthdays: Cooley, Raycroft, van Riemsdyk

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Gagne | Last updated 5/4/24

On May 4, we celebrate the birthdays of 27 past and present NHL players. Today’s list includes several Stanley Cup winners, a seven-time 20-goal scorer, a Calder Trophy-winning netminder, and a former third-overall pick. Let’s look at some names blowing out candles today.

Andrew Raycfort (1980)

The Boston Bruins drafted Andrew Raycroft in the fifth-round pick (135th overall) at the 1998 Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2000-01, skating in 15 games, earning a 4-6-0 record before getting called back up for six games over the next two seasons, with one game in 2001-02 and five in 2002-03. However, when he became the Bruins starter for the 2003-04 season, Raycroft would win the Calder Trophy thanks to a 29-18-9 record with a 2.05 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

In five seasons with Boston, he had a 43-46-12 record while earning All-Rookie honors. Although his stint with the Bruins didn’t yield much success, he played a significant role in the organization’s future, as they traded the former Rookie of the Year to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Tuukka Rask. In Raycroft’s first season with Toronto, he set the franchise record with 37 wins, which Frederik Andersen later surpassed.

Unfortunately, injuries shortened Raycroft’s career, which ended at 31 in 2012. After two seasons with the Maple Leafs, he played 31 games with the Colorado Avalanche, 21 with the Vancouver Cancuks, and 29 with the Dallas Stars. His career totals were 113-114-27 in 280 games, with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

James van Riemsdyk (1989)

James van Riemsdyk was the Philadelphia Flyers’ second overall pick in the 2007 Entry Draft after Patrick Kane went to the Chicago Blackhawks. At 20, he made his NHL debut in 2009-10 and collected 35 points in 78 games, eventually skating in the Stanley Cup Final that season against Kane and the Blackhawks. In his first stint with the Flyers, he had 99 points in 196 games, reaching 21 goals in 2010-11.

The Flyers traded van Riemsdyk to the Maple Leafs in June 2012 for Luke Schenn. He morphed into a two-time 30-goal scorer, setting a career-high with 36 in 2017-18. His best years came in Toronto, but he had a chance to add to his Philadelphia totals by rejoining the team as a free agent in 2018. In his second tour of duty, he netted two 20-goal campaigns, never scoring 50 points in any of his eight years with the club. At 34, van Riemsdyk signed with the Bruins as a free agent and earned 38 points in 71 games.

Logan Cooley (2004)

In the highly anticipated 2022 Entry Draft, the Arizona Coyotes made a significant move by drafting Logan Cooley . As the third overall pick, he was chosen right after Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal) and Simon Nemec (New Jersey). Despite this, he decided to further develop his skills in college hockey at the University of Minnesota, a decision that would prove to be a Wise one.

During his first NHL season, 2023-24, he did not disappoint with 20 goals and 44 points in 82 games, scoring one of the highlight reel goals of the campaign . At 19, Cooley scored his first career hat trick against the Nashville Predators and finished sixth in team scoring. Although he is relocating to Utah with the rest of his teammates, his NHL future is bright. He should be a superstar and future All-Star fans talk about for the next decade.