Matt Rempe Takes Part In First Fight Since Broken Thumb Last Season

Matt Rempe entered the New York Rangers’ on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup for the first time since the team’s opening night game on Sept. 29.

In the first period of the game, Rempe fought Jeffrey Viel, marking his first fight since Oct. 23, 2025 against Ryan Reaves., which resulted in a broken thumb.

The 24-year-old forward started the night playing on the Rangers’ fourth line alongside Cole Beaudoin and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 

“Remps is a disruptive player when he plays for us,” Mike Sullivan said. “He’s hard to play against, he sticks up for his teammates. He’s physical on the forecheck, he can help us build momentum, he can do those intangibles.”

Last season, Rempe missed a handful of games after undergoing two thumb surgeries, as he only played in a total of 26 games. 

After dealing with the thumb injury for the entirety of last season, Rempe confirmed during the summer that he felt fully healthy. 

Jaroslav Chmelař was playing in place of Rempe over the six games after the season opener.