Matt Rempe forcing New York Rangers to notice him
Matt Rempe certainly makes an impression at 6-8′ and 240 lbs. He’s an absolutely imposing figure on the ice that isn’t just a big body out there. One thing is abundantly clear to me, he wants the New York Rangers to notice him.
In Tuesday’s preseason win over the New York Islanders, he was a force with his heavy hitting and grinding style of play. On one play, he took Isiah George so heavily into the boards, that the Isles defenseman needed some time on the bench to recover.
The Calgary, Alberta native didn’t stop there as he fought Isles heavyweight Ross Johnston and came away with a slight edge thanks to a few big righthand punches that knocked his opponent’s helmet off.
Rempe left the ice motioning the crowd to get loud. The energy translated into a Blake Wheeler goal just 32 seconds later. The big man finished the game with a shot, block, hit, and an even rating in 9:27 of ice time.
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Matt Rempe is making the Rangers take notice
The 21-year-old was taken by the Rangers in the sixth round (165th overall) in the 2020 Draft. He signed his entry-level deal on November 3, 2021 and is forcing management to take notice of him with physical play and an ability to fight.
Being physical has never been an issue for Rempe, who has dropped the gloves on several occassions, including in the recent Rookie Series against the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month.
In the first period of game one, both teams came to play as they were engaged early. However, the highlight of the scoreless stanza came when the hulking Rangers’ prospect dropped Zayde Wisdom with a single punch.
“It’s unbelievable,” Rempe said about fighting. “You’re showing courage trying to get the team going and it fires the guys up.”
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Rempe picked up a primary assist on a Dylan Roobroeck goal to help the Rangers’ rookies to a 4-2 victory.
Last season, Rempe played his first pro campaign with the Hartford Wolf Pack recording 6 goals, 4 assists, and 10 points in 53 games. Prior to making the move, he collected 30 goals and 29 assists for 59 points in 111 matches all with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
Looking ahead, the expectation is for Rempe to start this year with Pack and continue his development. However, he’s making a case that he could be a future fourth line player for the Rangers sooner rather than later.
With several fourth-line veterans like Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick on one-year deals, Rempe could be a serious candidate to join the Blueshirts next season.
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