Matt Rempe: the giant rookie brings fighting back to the NHL
NHL fans across the world witnessed a glimpse of 'old school hockey' during the New York Rangers - New Jersey Devils fixture after Matt Rempe and Kurtis McDermid began exchanging blows. The gloves came off quickly on both sides of the ice, erupting into a five-on-five brawl. It is not the first time Matt Rempee is involved in a violent altercation on the ice...
It was determined that Jimmy Vesey (Rangers) and center Curtis Lazar (Devils) were the first to remove their gloves and engage in a fight during the Rangers-Devils game. This meant it would be an automatic eight-player ejection.
"I thought I was going to have a good five minutes in the penalty box with the fellas. We were going to be cuddled up in there getting cozy and having a good time," shared Rempe during a post-game interview.
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The NHL Rule 46.7 states: "A game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player who has assessed a major penalty for fighting after the original altercation has started."
There was some bad blood brewing between Rempe and MacDermid following their first fixture of the season, which saw the Rangers forward suspended for four games.
They say when you dance with the Devil, you're bound to get burned. It wasn't the case for the New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe, who ran into some trouble after a nasty elbow hit on Jonas Siegenthaler.
According to ESPN, the New York Rangers forward was suspended for four games following his violent misconduct and was forced to forfeit $17,000 (€15,650), money that goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
MacDermid took it upon himself to enforce the 'code' and make Rempe 'answer the bell' for his actions. His mission was to settle the score with the young Canadian rookie, as a 'welcome to the league' souvenir.
Nevertheless, after the match, both players shared their "respect and admiration" for one and another following the scrap. MacDermid described the rookie during an interview "as a young kid trying to do his thing."
According to the New York Post, Rempe is the first player in NHL history to get thrown out of all three of his first games against a single franchise. The rookie is not joking around!
The Canadian 21-year-old forward has gone viral during his rookie year. In his first seven games, he has accumulated 69 penalty minutes in his 14-game NHL career. Nevertheless, the Canadian rookie aspires to be more than an enforcer.
"I want to show to the coaching staff that I can be an effective player in playoffs. I've just got to keep working every day. When I was out of the lineup, I was working with the coaches," shared Rempe during an interview for Heavy.
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