by Greg Gangle, WEG Communications

Toronto, ON — James van Riemsdyk, star forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be the special celebrity drawmaster for this year’s edition of the Breeders Crown, which offers $6 million in purses, on Saturday (Oct. 27) at Woodbine.

Van Riemsdyk, will be on hand to assist with the noon event, set for Tuesday (Oct. 23) at WEGZ Stadium & Bar in Vaughan.

Born in 1989, van Riemsdyk captured the gold medal with Team USA in the 2007 World Under-18 Championships in Finland.

A native of Middleton Township, N.J., van Riemsdyk was drafted second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and played three seasons with the franchise.

This past season, van Riemsdyk posted 11 goals and 13 assists in 43 games for Philadelphia.

On June 23, 2012, van Riemsdyk was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Luke Schenn, a former drawmaster at WEG.