New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe joined a few NHL players, including New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce, in a supposedly friendly hockey game on Friday in Connecticut.
Although the event was supposed to be just about skating for a good cause, Rempe found a way to make headlines for the opposite reason, as he nearly flattened Pesce during an offseason charity game.
At the “Shoulder Check Showcase” in Stamford, Connecticut, Rempe drew attention when he locked in on the Devils defenseman and tried to deliver a high-speed check into the boards.
Pesce narrowly avoided contact, dodging what could have been a serious hit in a game meant for fun, not full contact or suffering potential season-altering injuries.
Pesce, who was wearing the Devils logo on his shoulder, might have flipped a switch for Rempe, who reacted instinctively despite the event’s nonprofit and non-competitive nature.
That's because of the lingering tensions between the Rangers' enforcer and the Devils that track back to Rempe's rookie season in New York.
The animosity started when Rempe completed a high hit on Devils player Nathan Bastian, and later escalated further during a line brawl in March, where Rempe was one of 10 players ejected two seconds into the game.
The brawl got started when Rempe challenged the Devils' Kurtis MacDermid after previously knocking Jonas Siegenthaler out with a high elbow that led to a four-game suspension earlier in the season.
The 23-year-old Rangers forward has yet to find an established role in New York, having played just 17 and 42 regular-season games for the franchise in the past two seasons.
The Rangers must have liked Rempe's skill set, however, as they recently signed the enforcer to a two-year, $1.95 million extension.
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