Matt Rempe Downplays Potential Fight With Ryan Reaves While Praising Him

Matt Rempe may have fought Ryan Reaves in the past, but he has great respect for the fellow enforcer.

With Reaves expected to play on Friday night as the New York Rangers take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rempe was asked about Reaves and went on to praise him.

“Oh, he's obviously one of the toughest there is,” Rempe said. “A ton of respect for him, with over 900 games in a super hard role. It's very, very impressive.

“So obviously, got a ton of respect from him, for him there, and it was a good fight last year and stuff, and learned. And he's obviously seemed like a great guy and stuff. And, yeah, I don't know, just, just go play hockey, yeah.”

This comes after Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube claimed that Rempe’s presence influenced his decision to add Reaves to the lineup.

“Rempe over there. He’s an effective player.” Berube said about why he is inserting Reaves into the lineup.

The two enforcers are finally set to share the ice once again and we’ll have to see if any fireworks ensue.