New York Rangers center Matt Rempe burst onto the scene last winter as a physical enforcer who could fire off his hands with the best brawlers in the NHL. But next season, he wants to be known for more than his prowess as a fighter.
Matt Rempe is aiming to be more than just a fighter on the ice next season
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski published several quotes from Rempe, who recently spoke about his journey during his rookie season with the Rangers. He described how his fighting helped him make a name for himself in New York, and how he wants to use that, in concert with a more refined skill set, to power him through the 2024-25 slate.
The Canadian talent elaborated on the latter by saying this:
“The fighting is a very small part. I highly prioritize the skills, the skating and everything. I’ve got to become a better player, so that’s what I’ve got to work on. I’ve enjoyed it and I think I’ve taken big strides this summer,” Rempe said.
Rangers: Matt Rempe’s physical play was not as effective in the 2024 NHL playoffs
Rempe got into three fights inside of his first five games for the Rangers in 2023-24 and found himself in a series of future squabbles for the year, per Remy Mastey of The Hockey News. He was an aggressor from the onset and earned more time on the ice thanks to him taking off his gloves. Rempe also garnered praise from several NHL greats who lauded him for bringing a needed edge to New York’s roster at a critical juncture of the campaign.
However, once playoff time rolled around, the 22-year-old fell out of favor in Rangers head coach Peter LaViolette’s rotation, ultimately getting benched for Games 3 and 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Carolina Hurricanes. He also failed to see the ice in Games 1 and 6 of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Rempe can take the next step as a scorer in 2024-25
Thus, Rempe is set on coming back as a more complete player next season, which should be encouraging to the Rangers given his limited experience. The 6-8 two-way contributor gave New York one goal and one assist in 17 regular season games from the time he was called up from the AHL on Feb. 18 until the close of the year.
There is much room for him to improve as a scorer, and there are ways he can amplify his playmaking skills ahead of the upcoming campaign. If his work ethic matches his intent this offseason, Rempe should see more results reflected from a qualitative standpoint, as well as on the stat sheet, and avoid being a healthy scratch in pivotal games
