Rangers’ Matt Rempe suspended 8 games for boarding, elbowing Stars defenseman
The NHL Department of Player Safety handed out an eight-game suspension Sunday to New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe for his hit on Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Rempe was suspended specifically for boarding and elbowing.
The 22-year-old forward was originally penalized for his hit on Heiskanen at 7:13 of the third period during New York’s 3-1 road victory on Friday. The hit, which resulted in a major penalty and game misconduct for elbowing, was Rempe’s fourth ejection in just 22 career games, a rate of 18 percent.
As a repeat offender, Rempe was offered an in-person hearing by Department of Player Safety, though the actual hearing was held by Zoom call. His repeat status allowed the League to suspend him more than five games. He also will forfeit $80,000 in salary.
Rempe returned to the Rangers lineup Friday after spending nearly a month playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, where he earned big minutes and played in all situations. In his return to NHL action, he logged 5:32 TOI, had five hits, one shot on goal, and drew three penalties.
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Matt Rempe suspended by NHL, can return to Rangers on Jan. 9
It was a great return for Rempe, who was able to have a big impact on the game albeit with little ice time. Everything was trending in the right direction until his hit on Heiskanen, which was up high, from behind, and leading with the elbow. The hit left Heiskanen shaken up, and sent him to the Dallas dressing room for some time. He eventually returned to finish the game.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette recognized the impact that Rempe had in the much-needed win for New York.
“I thought he had a big impact on the game,” Laviolette said postgame. “I’d like to stay away from the five-minute major, but he’s doing his best to hit bodies and make a difference in the game. Our guys really rallied around that at the end.”
Rempe last received a game misconduct for taking part in a line brawl between the Rangers and New Jersey Devils on April 3. That came after he was assessed a major penalty — and an eventual four-game suspension — for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler on March 11. In the previous Rangers-Devils game on Feb. 22, Rempe received a match penalty for a hit on Nathan Bastian.
With Rempe being ejected from games at this rate, the NHL had no choice but to lengthen the suspension, hopefully teaching the towering forward a valuable lesson. Oftentimes, Rempe is let off the hook because of his 6-foot-9 frame, which makes it difficult to hit shorter players in the center of their body. This time, however, his recklessness cost him.
If Rempe plans to stick in the NHL, he’ll need to find a way to squash this concerning habit. An ejection in 18 percent of his career games is not something that will help make him a trusted player on the Rangers roster. That being said, the Rangers have a terrific record of 16-4-2 when Rempe is in the lineup over the past two seasons.
It seems to be a bit of an anomaly, since Rempe’s career-high single game TOI is just 11:08, which came last season on March 9 against the St. Louis Blues. However, his career average is just 5:46. For some reason, the Rangers seem to come to play when Rempe is out there with them.
Rempe is eligible to return Jan. 9, when the Rangers host the Devils.
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