Matt Rempe is a rookie currently playing for the New York Rangers. Rempe played his first game on February 18th, after winger Blake Wheeler got injured. In Rempe’s first game, he did something that would forever change his career; he dropped the gloves and got into a fight with Matt Martin.
In his third game, he got a total of 17 penalty minutes! When the Rangers played the Flyers on February 24th, Rempe dropped the gloves against Nicolas Deslauriers just three minutes into the First period. In his next game though Rempe got his “welcome to the league” when he dropped his gloves with Mathieu Olivier who clobbered him with punches. Most recently, Rempe fought Reaves on center ice, after Rempe delivered a big hit on Toronto’s Ilya Lyubushkin injuring him. Rempe also has more minutes in the penalty box than he has had on the ice.
You might be wondering: “Why is he still in the league if he’s just fighting people?” Well, that’s because there’s more to hockey than players who score, assist, and defend. Rempe is an Enforcer which is a player who delivers big hits, fights, stands up for his teammates, and uses brute force. Rempe isn’t much of a scorer, but he’s a great enforcer which has brought him a great amount of fame. Rempe is already a fan favorite, and his jersey sales have been off the charts.
But won’t the league hate him for his big hits and the fights he causes? No, most of the players he’s fought have asked him before the game or during the game to drop the gloves to entertain the crowd. Obviously, Rempe’s goal isn’t to go out on the ice and hurt players because big hits are a part of hockey, but his hits are especially violent because he’s 6’7, which is taller than most players, so it hurts them more. Overall, Rempe is a player that will be fun to watch for years to come for his love of dropping the gloves and his willingness to lay players out.
