Rangers' Matt Rempe working toward becoming a complete hockey player
Rangers center Matt Rempe fights with Nashville Predators defenseman Andreas Englund in the first period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on March 2. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Matt Rempe has been a fan favorite since the first shift of his NHL career. That’s when he accepted an invitation from Islanders enforcer Matt Martin and dropped the gloves with him in a memorable debut in the outdoor game at MetLife Stadium between the Rangers and Islanders in February 2024.
But the Rempe whom Rangers fans fell in love with that day has grown up a little. Now 23, he’s worked hard to reinvent himself. As he’s matured and become a full-time NHLer, he continues to work toward developing into a more complete, more all-around hockey player.
“I want to turn into not being known as an enforcer,’’ Rempe told Newsday this week. “I want to be turned into ‘this guy’s a really good young power forward . . . who also can fight.’
“That’s part of the game, you don’t want to lose that,’’ he said. “But I don’t want to be known as an enforcer per se. I want to be ‘well, this guy’s real good, powerful, he’s skilled, fast, he brings an edge. He’s super-physical, good defensively.’ And I think that I have all the tools to do that.’’
Rempe, who played on a gigantic fourth line with his buddy, the 6-7 Adam Edstrom, and 6-7 Dylan Roobroeck on Thursday night against the Islanders, has worked hard every summer to improve his strength, skating and overall skills, and it’s showing.
He’s added weight to his 6-9 frame — he said he gained 12 pounds this summer and is 265 — but at the same time, he somehow has gotten faster. In the preseason opener Sunday against the Devils, Rempe created the Rangers’ second goal of the game, scored by Roobroeck. Rempe chipped a puck softly into the Devils’ zone, then burst between two defenders to get to it and get a shot off that created the rebound that Roobroeck put past Devils goalie Nico Daws.
“I’ve noticed it in the first few days of camp,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said of Rempe’s speed. “He’s in great shape. He’s a strong skater. And sometimes bigger guys like that, they don’t look like they’re going that fast because they have long levers. But they’re covering the ground out there. And he’s one of those guys.’’
Sullivan, who’s in his first year coaching the Rangers and just getting to know his players, was asked if he thinks Rempe has the tools to be more than just an enforcer.
“Yes,’’ he said. “He’s strong on pucks. He protects pucks well. I think he has the ability to make a play, [and] his willingness to go to the net front and battle on rebounds makes the sight lines for the goaltender difficult. All those things are invaluable to manufacturing offense.’’
Before the Devils game, there was chatter about the fact that Devils enforcer Kurtis MacDermid was playing. Some wondered if he and Rempe might fight, but they didn’t.
According to Rempe, while he still likes fighting, he won’t do it if there’s no need.
“I want to be done with ‘stage fighting,’ ’’ he said. “If I’m being so effective that I have to fight because I’ve had eight real great hits in a game, or something like that, then I’ll do that. Or if I have to stand up for my teammates, obviously I’ll do that. But me going to a game and just fight someone, that’s not helping me.’’
Rangers fall to Isles
For the second straight preseason game, the Rangers blew a multi-goal lead in the third period and lost to the Islanders, 5-4. The Blueshirts led 4-2 after two periods Thursday night on goals by Vincent Trocheck, Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard and J.T. Miller, but the Islanders scored three times in the third, including the winner by Kyle Palmieri with 3:46 left in regulation. Gleb Veremyev had two goals for the Isles . . . Jonathan Quick played the first two periods and allowed two goals on 15 shots. Dylan Garand played the third and allowed three goals on 10 shots . . . Forwards Artemi Panarin and Justin Dowling, both out with lower-body injuries, skated on their own . . . D Vladislav Gavrikov practiced with the non-game group after getting a maintenance day on Wednesday.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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