It’s about to get rough and rowdy again.
The New York Rangers recalled their six-foot-eight yard-dog forward Matt Rempe on Tuesday from the AHL Hartford Wolfpack after having served an eight-game suspension.
He is officially eligible to return against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Rempe was issued the suspension after an illegal hit he made on Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Dec. 22 “that violated multiple NHL rules,” according to the NHL Department of Player Safety.
He was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct.
ELMONT, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: Matt Rempe #73 of the New York Islanders skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on October 04, 2024 in Elmont, New York.
ELMONT, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: Matt Rempe #73 of the New York Islanders skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on October 04, 2024 in Elmont, New York.
Upon reflection, the sophomore bruiser noted he will “have to veer on the side of caution for now.”
“I’m looking like a marked man right now, so I gotta keep it clean,” Rempe said to reporters on Wednesday.
In a season where the Rangers have lacked fight, Rempe provides a necessary intangible as they attempt to propel themselves out of the bottom of the Metropolitan Division in the second half.
“I thought he had a big impact in the game. Would 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 rallied around that,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said following the 3-1 victory against Dallas where Rempe was ejected.
If Rempe does dress against New Jersey on Thursday, his return will launch him right back into hot waters as he took a four-game suspension last season after elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in March.
The play led to much controversy and the infamous, ever-rare 5-on-5 line brawl that ensured at the opening faceoff in the following tilt between the Rangers and Devils on April 3.
Rempe became a fan favorite in New York as a rookie last season, making a name for himself around the NHL by fighting the league’s biggest and toughest stalwarts.
He plays with a lot of energy, and with his towering stature, Rempe’s leverage can lead to some dangerous hits. He acknowledged his need to be more selective about laying the body moving forward.
“I don’t have to make every hit, if that makes sense,” Rempe said after practice this week.
Now it’s about finding a way for the Rangers to elicit the best of Rempe’s physical impact on a hockey game without putting players in vulnerable positions.
“I don’t know if he’s trying to do too much,” Laviolette said. “I think part of his game is physicality, but … [getting suspended] hasn’t happened at the American Hockey League level and it’s happened here. So those are things that we talk to him about, about playing a cleaner game. And even prior to that happening, we had more conversations about it, just the way he needs to play. But he also has to make sure that he brings his game.”
Last season, he recorded a goal, an assist, and 71 penalty minutes in 17 games. In the playoffs, he added one goal in 11 games as the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in six games.
This year, he’s played in just five games for the Rangers while being called up and down from the minors.
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