Opinion: Admit It, You Want to Read More About Matt Rempe

A Saturday night game between two explosive teams is always going to have some juice to it, but let's be real: The reason a lot of us were excited about the New York Rangers coming to Toronto on the weekend was because we wanted to see rookie Matt Rempe drop the gloves with veteran Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves.

For many, Reaves is the heavyweight champ in the NHL, and Rempe is all anyone has been talking about lately, starting with his first-shift fight against another respected veteran, Matt Martin of the Islanders, in the NHL Stadium Series.

To be fair, there is also a substantial number of folks who are worried about Rempe's workload when it comes to fisticuffs: Yes, he's 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, but he took some big-time shots in tilts against Philly's Nic Deslauriers and Columbus' Mathieu Olivier - two guys with a lot more experience in the fighting department.

Like it or not, Rempe versus Reaves was the major storyline on Saturday night, and personally? I'm not going to knock it. Heck, I went to the game because of Rempe and Reaves, and it was pretty clear a lot of Toronto fans were itching to see the scrap as well.

On his first shift, Rempe spun out on the forecheck when Toronto's William Nylander channelled his inner Allen Iverson and the crowd went bonkers giving Rempe the business. For most of the game, Rempe and Reaves kept their distance from each other, and it was clear coaches Peter Laviolette and Sheldon Keefe were not going to make the fight happen on purpose.

And I'm not gonna lie: At one point in the third period, I thought it wouldn't happen. The game was close, and opportunities were passed up when both were on the ice together. Was the biggest will-they-or-won't-they since Ross and Rachel on Friends going to be a dud?

Not so fast: With around six minutes to go, Reaves and Rempe found each other. Rempe even looked to the bench first as if to say, 'Is this a good time?' And they were off. 

Admittedly, the fight itself was just OK (I say as someone who did not have to throw a single punch). Rempe has clearly learned from previous tilts and used his incredible reach to keep Reaves at bay for the most part. And Reaves was too strong and smart to get exposed himself. All in all, Rempe showed he could hang with Reaves.

"He's not scared of anyone, he's shown that," said Rangers captain Jacob Trouba. "He had some good hits and a good fight there at the end. He brings that physicality and edge to the game that's good for our team."

The most important thing to realize about Rempe is that he can be an effective fourth-liner without fighting every game. His hit on defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (which injured the Leafs blueliner) was controversial, but no doubt sent a message to those about to play the Rangers that an 18-wheeler can pick up quite a bit of speed when given the time.

"Obviously he doesn't have to fight, he knows that," said defenseman Adam Fox. "You're down a goal and it gives you a little life - we were able to maybe get a little boost from that to help us in the end. I thought he played a good game, hitting and getting in on the forecheck. Everyone wants to see him fight all these heavyweights, but he's been effective without fighting, too. He brings a different element and good on him to stand in there when he doesn't have to."

So we got what we wanted. And while I'm sure Rempe is just happy to be living his NHL dream, the amount of digital ink spilled in his name in the past week or two has been huge for the NHL. Playing in the media epicenter of New York, Rempe was causing a buzz and dominating the social media discourse (next up, Saturday Night Live? I'm kidding...or am I?). Yes, hockey is about more than fighting, but if someone decides to turn on a game for the first time because they saw a clip of Rempe online, I'm pretty confident all the other action is what could turn them into a new fan in the end.

So fight when you want to, Matt. You've already made a name for yourself in the NHL and you can pick your spots as you see fit.