Brothers Vandermeer sign with Flames

Calgary, AB - Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced today the re-signing of defenseman Jim Vandermeer and the signing of free agent forward Peter Vandermeer.

Jim Vandermeer

“Jim is a young defenceman who fits in very well with our group and brings us the element of toughness that is important for our team,” said Sutter. “He is clearly a player who plays in our top six. Jim gives us five defencemen still on the up swing and we know we have them for the next 3-5 years.”

Vandermeer, a native of Caroline, Alberta is a veteran of 267 NHL games split between Philadelphia, Chicago, and Calgary. After coming to Calgary last season, Vandermeer played in 21 games for the Flames recording two assists along with 39 minutes in penalties.

Prior to turning pro, Vandermeer played four seasons of junior with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. In his final season (2000–01), Vandermeer was the captain of the Rebels team that won the Memorial Cup.

JIM VANDERMEER – DEFENSE
BORN: Caroline, AB (February 21, 1980)                         SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6’1”                                                             WEIGHT: 208 lbs.            
ACQUIRED: Traded from Philadelphia on February 20, 2008 in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick (2009)

Peter Vandermeer, the older brother of Jim Vandermeer, is entering his 13 season of professional hockey.

“We signed Pete Vandermeer to be a role model for our young players in Quad Cities,” said Sutter. “He is a tough, physical player who will be important for the development of our prospects. It’s important to have character people like Pete in the organization.”

A native of Red Deer, Alberta, Vandermeer played two games with the Phoenix Coyotes last season but spent the majority of the year with San Antonio (AHL) playing in 38 games scoring twice and adding six assists to go along with 332 penalty minutes which placed him second in the AHL.

PETER VANDERMEER – LEFT WING
BORN: Red Deer, AB (October 14, 1975)                         SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6’0”                                                             WEIGHT: 210 lbs.            
ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent on July 2, 2008