Matt Rempe didn’t need much time to become a favorite of New York Rangers fans. His willingness to step up and defend teammates, as well as to square off against some of the NHL’s tough guys, has made him immensely popular with the Blueshirt Faithful.
But Rempe will have to impress a new coach when he arrives at training camp next month. With Mike Sullivan taking over behind the bench after Peter Laviolette was fired, the parameters of what he’ll need to do to further his NHL career are likely to be different than they were in his first two seasons.
Mollie Walker, who covers the Rangers for the New York Post, told the DLLS Stars Podcast on Friday that she’s looking forward to seeing how Rempe will do under Sullivan, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I’m really excited to see how he looks in training camp this season,” she said, “and I’m excited to see what a guy like Mike Sullivan thinks of Matt Rempe as well.”
Rempe has already been assessed two major suspensions in his brief (59 games) NHL career, including an eight-game enforced vacation for boarding and elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen last Dec. 20. At the time, it was his fourth ejection in 22 career games.
But the 6-foot-8 forward looked like a much smarter and better player after he returned from the suspension. The Rangers have worked with him on how to be physical but smart, as well as to avoid situations that could result in suspensions. He ended up leading the Rangers — and placing sixth in the NHL for those who played at least 40 games — by averaging 19.64 hits per 60 minutes. His average ice time before the suspension was 6:15; he finished the season averaging 8:30.
“All the hits, all the suspensions — he’s still learning,” Walker said. “He’s a 6-foot-9 gazelle out there who doesn’t always know how to control his body – but he’s learning. He’s really made an effort to do so and to put in the work to get to where he wants to be. I think the Rangers are incredibly impressed with his work ethic.
Rempe learning to play smarter as he prepares for new season
Rempe’s overall game improved greatly in the last four months of the season. All of his scoring (eight points; three goals, five assists) came after the suspension, and he was plus-7 in those 37 games while taking only 43 penalty minutes during that span. He played all but six of the Rangers’ 43 games after the suspension; the six absences were due to injury.
Upon his return, Rempe admitted that he needed to be smarter with his physical play, since that suspension was the second in two seasons and he’d already received four game misconducts in that span. He stuck to a simple North-South game, building chemistry with center Sam Carrick.
He was responsible defensively, displayed deceptive speed and skill, and was a handful for opposing defensemen on the forecheck. He spent a lot less time in the penalty box — though still remaining a physical presence and deterrent — and more time on the ice helping turn momentum in the Rangers’ favor.
The Rangers must have been impressed: They signed him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $975,000. He’s spent the summer working to improve his game at both ends of the ice — while also taking some time to serve as a counselor at the Junior Rangers camp.
Walker said Rempe has enough skill and drive to be more than just a big guy who runs around bashing opponents.
“When you look at just the raw ability he has to make an impact on the ice and the way that he does,” she said, “you can’t really put a price on that a lot of the time.”
She also likened Rempe’s impact to that of forward Ryan Reeves, who played with the Rangers from 2021-23 and is now a member of the San Jose Sharks. The two squared off on March 2, 2024, while Reeves played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I go back to even when Ryan Reaves was brought in — how everybody in that locker room, all the young guys, talked about how much taller they skated and how much more confidently they skated when they knew they had a guy like Ryan Reaves who could step in and help if need be, or step in and make an example,” she said. “And I feel like Matt Rempe fills that (role) 100 percent.
“I think it would be folly to say that Matt Rempe has not had an incredible impact on New York in more than one way.”
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