“I have to be smarter,” Matt Rempe determined to be CAUTIOUS after becoming ‘marked man’ following 8-game suspension
Matt Rempe talks about being more cautious of hits to avoid suspension early on in the game following 8-game ejection.
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Matt Rempe [Image Credit: Imago]
Matt Rempe has been warned. The New York Rangers center knows what’s at stake as he returns to the lineup after 8 game suspension. He’ll be joining the team after a long time for their match against the cross-town rivals the New Jersey Devils.
Rempe is returning on ice after boarding Dallas Stars defenceman Miro Heiskanen brutally. This is not the first time he has been suspended. He’ll be on the red list of the NHL Player Safety Department for quite some time and now he’ll have to be a lot “smarter” when playing against opponents.
Given his size, he acknowledges that he has to avoid critical hits and carefully advance in plays he wants to clash with an opponent. The 6-foot-8 can easily hurt his opponent even unintentionally due to his physicality.
With his penalty and suspension history, Matt Rempe has racked up two suspensions, eight major penalties, and 71 penalty minutes in just 22 games in his first two seasons in the NHL. Furthermore, following the latest incident, he was sent to AHL before coming back on the ice.
That wasn’t a great hit. I have to be smarter there and not make hits like that when they’re right against the wall. I’m too big of a guy coming in with that much speed. I can’t let something like that happen again, I’ve gotta be a bit more controlled.
Matt Rempe as per John Flanigan of SNY.tv.
Matt Rempe plans on "veering on the side of caution for now" because he is a "marked man"
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) January 8, 2025
He knows that another hit could lead to a "huge" suspension pic.twitter.com/59IPjUGHxm
Rempe gladly embraced his time in the AHL and even spoke with George Parros, the head of the Player Safety Department, about legal and illegal hits. Rempe described himself as a “marked man” after his latest suspension in the NHL.
Matt Rempe talks about his game control following return from suspension
NY Rangers center Matt Rempe admitted that he has to be more in control of the game and his movements. If any major hits happen again it can very well be “20 games then.”
![Matt Rempe [Image Credit: Imago]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Matt-Rempe-1200x675.jpg)
He said that all his past suspensions and time out in the box were “learning experiences” and a “bump in the road” towards his development. Head coach Peter Laviolette also hopes that such cases won’t happen again or Rempe may find himself back in AHL.
I don’t know if he’s trying to do too much. 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.
Peter Laviolette as per Andrew Crane of NY Post.com.
Peter Laviolette on Matt Rempe: "I thought he had a big impact on the game. 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."
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) December 21, 2024
While Rempe acknowledged getting physical is his style of play, he’ll have to check his movements to not seriously injure anyone unintentionally. Following a couple of horrifying accidents on-ice that led to player deaths, the NHL is taking hits seriously. Hopefully, Rempe won’t get in the spotlight for the Player Safety Department.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2137 Articles Published)