After being sent down on Thursday night to the American Hockey league, Matt Rempe played two games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. While his two shots and minus-three rating don’t come across as all that impressive, Rempe’s short stint in the AHL was impactful for his development. Rempe felt that his increased role with the Wolf Pack was critical for him and felt good after playing a limited role with the Rangers for so long. “Got to go play 17/18/19 minutes the last two games, played center, played all situations,” Rempe said about his time in Hartford. “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.” Stan Fischler talks about Matt Rempe. With the Wolf Pack, the 22-year-old was able to experience certain situations that he has never played in throughout the entirety of his career. Most players would view getting sent down as a demotion, but Rempe handled the whole situation like a pro. “I'm so young still,” Rempe said. “I want to go play games. I want to grow my game. I got to get a lot better in all areas. I think that's great for me to go play. That was the first time I played PK and power play in a pro hockey game ever... So that was great.” For a young man still looking to develop and grow his individual game, it’s great for him to be able to serve a substantial role in a low pressure situation in order to figure out what sort of player he can ultimately become. Peter Laviolette is pleased with Rempe’s performance with the Wolf Pack and was happy to see the enforcer play a more multidimensional role. “Playing 16 minutes, 17, minutes, 18 minutes in all situations is great for him,” Laviolette said. “He is a young player that is continuing to work on his game, working on his craft. He got an opportunity to go down there and play some minutes.” Rempe is expected to play on Tuesday night when the Rangers face-off against the Washington Capitals.
