Matt Rempe among tallest players in New York Rangers history
During the 2023-24 season, the New York Rangers called up Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe from the minor leagues to make their NHL debuts. Each forward is listed as 6-foot-7, making them two of the tallest skaters in franchise history.
According to statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, 1,121 players (including goalies) have played for the Rangers over 97 seasons, with only 29 listed as 6-foot-5 or taller. Over the previous four seasons, their tallest players stood at 6-foot-6, with Ben Harpur skating in 42 games in 2022-23, Jarred Tinordi dressing for seven in 2021-22, and Tim Gettinger playing in 16 contests from 2019 to 2022.
Outside of these players, New York’s full-time tallest player since 2019 has been K’Andre Miller, who is billed as 6-foot-5 and took the mantle from Kevin Hayes, who had the title from 2015 to 2019. Before these two, Brian Boyle (6-foot-6) was the tallest skater for four seasons until 2014.
During Boyle’s time with the club, he skated alongside Justin Falk (6-foot-5) and Mike Rupp (6-foot-5) and shared the ice with the Rangers’ all-time tallest goalies, Magnus Hellberg and Steve Valiquette, who are both 6-foot-6.
At the turn of the century, New York saw an influx of big skaters join the lineup, which included 6-foot-5 Jeff Toms, Cory Cross, Krzysztof Oliwa, and Mike Siklenka. These Rangers also suited up some 6-foot-6 players, including Mike Wilson, Nik Antropov, and perhaps one of the most famous big men in Rangers history, Marek Malik.
The Czechia-born defenseman played 691 games in the NHL, including 185 with New York from 2005 to 2008. Despite tallying only 33 career goals, he scored one of the most memorable shootout goals of all time on Nov. 25, 2005.
Before tall players began to dress more often in the 2000s, the Rangers only employed five skaters over 6-foot-5 throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Willy Huber (1984-88), Kjell Samuelsson (1986-87), Eric Cairns (1997-98), and Peter Popovic (1999).
Historically, only one skater at least 6-foot-5 has won the Stanley Cup when wearing a Rangers uniform: Jeff Beukeboom, who played on Broadway from 1992 to 1999. After capturing two titles with the Edmonton Oilers in 1988 and 1990, he came to New York in the Mark Messier trade in 1991, played 520 games for the Blueshirts over eight seasons and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 1994.
During the Rangers’ first three seasons, they did not have a skater over 6-foot-1 until Yip Foster, listed as 6-foot-6, became the tallest player in 1930. He held this title until 2002 when he was surpassed by Steve McKenna, who dressed for 54 games in the 2001-02 season. From 1930 to 1984, not a single skater was listed over 6-foot-4.
Related: 10 key trades that helped Rangers win Stanley Cup in 1994
Tallest players in New York Rangers history
Matt Rempe (6-foot-7)
Rempe, a sixth-round pick (165th overall) from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, made his NHL debut on Feb. 18 at the Stadium Series contest against the New York Islanders. He instantly made headlines with a rousing heavyweight fight against Matt Martin on his first NHL shift in front of 79,000 fans and picked up three more fighting majors in his first seven games.
So far, the popular Rempe has collected two points, including his first goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 24, which was the game-winner. The 21-year-old had 22 points in 96 games in the AHL.
Adam Edstrom (6-foot-7)
Edstrom is another sixth-round pick (161st overall) from the 2019 Entry Draft. He scored his first goal in his NHL debut on Dec. 15 against the Anaheim Ducks. After 11 games with the Rangers, collecting two points, he returned to the Hartford Whale Pack in early March, where he’s tallied 13 points in 36 games.
Derek Boogaard (6-foot-7)
Derek Boogaard played 277 games in the NHL, skating 22 with the Rangers in 2010-11, his last season in the League. As one of the toughest skaters of his era, he racked up 589 penalty minutes, reaching 158 in his rookie campaign in 2005-06. According to Hockeyfights.com, Boogaard had 51 fights in six seasons. Unfortunately, he died from an accidental overdose at the age of 28 in 2011.
John Scott (6-foot-8)
John Scott played for seven franchises throughout his eight-year career, including a six-game stop with the Rangers in 2011-12. In 286 games, he collected 11 points, five goals, and six points. Naturally, his only penalty with the Blueshirts was a fighting major in a Mar. 6, 2012 contest against the New Jersey Devils. In 2015, Scott became an NHL All-Star when the fans voted him in. Despite numerous attempts by the League to prevent him from participating in the game, he scored two goals and was named MVP.
Chris McAllister (6-foot-8)
Chris McAllister was one of the tallest players to be drafted in the second round when the Vancouver Canucks selected him 40th overall in the 1995 Entry Draft. Once he made his NHL debut in 1997, he’d go on to play 301 games in the League, including 12 games with the Rangers in 2003-04. During his time in New York, he registered a single assist and 12 penalty minutes, which accounted for only 0.01 percent of his career totals of 634 penalty minutes.
Steve McKenna (6-foot-8)
McKenna was an undrafted NHL player who played in 373 games, including a brief 54-game stint with the Blueshirts in 2001-02, during which he scored two goals and an assist. He debuted with the Los Angeles Kings in 1997, collecting 37 penalty minutes in nine games. Surprisingly, the 6-foot-8 Toronto native had 18 career goals, seven of which came on the power play.
When McKenna joined the Rangers as a free agent in August 2001, he broke Foster’s record as the tallest player in team history, a milestone that had lasted 72 seasons. Despite a short tenure on Broadway, he averaged 2.6 penalty minutes a game, which is slightly higher than his career average of 2.2, with 824 career penalty minutes.
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