New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe has only played in 10 games this season, but he was slapped with a four-game suspension on Tuesday for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.
Rempe has been characterized as an enforcer since he was called up to the Rangers. He has been in four fights since he got a chance to play in the NHL. His play earned him 54 penalty minutes while only having about 56:28 of time on the ice.
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New York Rangers right wing Matt Rempe, #73, is pictured during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on March 11, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
His hit on Siegenthaler earned him a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety issued the suspension after a disciplinary hearing.
The league said Rempe flared his left below up and out in a dangerous fashion to hit Siegenthaler in order to make contact instead of trying to miss him. To make matters worse, Siegenthaler was injured on the play and did not return to the game.
Devils defenseman Kurtis MacDermid tried to challenge Rempe, but officials separated the two.
“I wish I could have gotten to him sooner and taught him a lesson,” MacDermid said.
Matt Rempe, #73 of the New York Rangers, exchanges words with Kurtis MacDermid, #23 of the New Jersey Devils, at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2024 in New York City. (Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Rampe also mocked the Devils bench as he left the ice.
“There’s a right way to go about things and a wrong way,” MacDermid added. “He’s a young kid in this league. He has a lot to learn still. You don’t do things like that when you’re in your first year in league especially … You’ve got to learn how to hit properly and not injure players.”
Interim Devils coach Travis Green believed there was extra intent with the hit.
New York Rangers’ Matt Rempe, left, waves as New Jersey Devils’ Kurtis MacDermid yells at him during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 11, 2024, in New York. Rempe got an elbowing penalty while MacDermid got a misconduct penalty. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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“I think there’s some intent there to injure the player,” he said. “Call it predatorial or whatever you want to call it. It’s definitely not the first time that it’s happened and second time against us.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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