Matt Rempe became a well-known NHL player pretty quickly for his fisticuffs, and the New York Rangers continue to play him.
Matt Rempe and Kurtis MacDermidMatt Rempe didn't take long to make headlines after the New York Rangers called him up from the AHL.
Following a brief stint with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, Rempe returned to the NHL lineup against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 29. And in his first shift, he fought the Capitals' Dylan McIlrath.
It's the second season in a row where the 22-year-old dropped the gloves to make an impression after a call-up. The main difference is the last time it happened, it was his first career NHL game, and it was at a football stadium.
On Feb. 18, the Rangers and New York Islanders took it outside as part of the 2024 NHL Stadium Series.
In the first shift of that memorable match, Rempe – who comes in at a behemoth 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds – dropped the gloves against veteran enforcer Matt Martin early in the first period.
In that fight with Martin, Rempe more than held his own. His fight was all over social media, which continued throughout the rest of the season.
Rempe became the NHL's new tough guy every other tough guy wanted to fight. He soon became a well-known name, not only among Rangers fans but among most NHL followers. A lot of hockey discussions were about Rempe, who he would fight next and whether this would be the resurgence of the enforcer role in the NHL.
In the 17 games Rempe played for the Rangers last season, he had 71 penalty minutes. Not only did Rempe’s acts of physical intimidation embolden the Rangers, which were considered a softer team the previous season, but they had someone who could answer the bell whenever needed.
A prime example occurred last March when the Rangers played the Toronto Maple Leafs. From the moment the game started, it seemed like all that the broadcasters and fans wanted to see was Rempe fight the Leafs’ vaunted enforcer, Ryan Reaves.
Reaves, to some, was considered the last of the enforcer era, so a good fight against him is a stamp of approval for most. With about six minutes left in the game, Rempe and Reaves did drop the gloves, lifting the fans at Scotiabank Arena out of their seats. Rempe again held his own.
Over the off-season, Rempe put in the work to make the team this year, and he trained his fighting skills with Georges Laraque, whom many consider to be one of the scariest enforcers in hockey history.
This year, Rempe made the Rangers' season-opening roster but did not play in their first game against Pittsburgh. He then played 3:40 against the Utah Hockey Club and 7:37 against the Toronto Maple Leafs before the team assigned him to the Wolf Pack. He played two AHL games during the stint, logging two shots but no penalty minutes.
“Got to go play 17, 18, 19 minutes the last two games, played center, played all situations,” Rempe told reporters on Monday. “It was good for me. Hadn't played a lot of minutes in a long while, so it was good for me to get all those game situations, feel the puck, play not just the physical side and play in a top-six role.”
While Rempe got a chance to work on other parts in his game, he still showed he's willing to fight in the NHL. Training with Laraque helped him prepare to stand up for himself if other players challenge him in the future.
With his size and stature, it was hard for other enforcers to fight him before, whether they won or lost. Considering the Rangers still see a benefit in having him in the NHL lineup, it wouldn't be a surprise if Rempe keeps the enforcer role in the NHL.
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