Matt Rempe has quickly become perhaps the biggest fan favorite among the Rangers’ fanbase.
The 6’8 rookie has dropped the gloves against some of the toughest guys in the league, and he’s not your ordinary rookie.
With his size and reach, he’s a nightmare to play against in the physical absence of the game, and he’s shown some great fighting abilities so far in his short NHL career. But he’s also been in some controversial incidents.
Rempe can lay huge hits, but he’s also been slammed for not controlling his body enough.
He was suspended four games for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.
After Rempe’s four-game suspension was over, he was a healthy scratch, and in that game against the Winnipeg Jets, Rangers fans started a ”We Want Rempe” chant late in the third period, with the Rangers trailing by two goals.
And the fans have gotten what they wanted.
Rempe has played in each of the three games played since the scratch against the Jets, but last night, against the Philadelphia Flyers, he had an embarrassing moment, that had fans laughing.
Early in the game, Rempe forechecked and skated behind the Flyers’ net when he saw a great opportunity to lay a big hit.
But the Flyers defenseman Adam Ginning saw what would happen and quickly adapted with some great skating.
Ginning got out of the way of Rempe, but as the Rangers rookie was already locked in, it just led to him catching air and falling awkwardly to the ice.
On social media, fans were quick to mock Rempe for the missed hit, but he took it perfectly.
According to insider Jonny Lazarus, Rempe smiled the whole way back to the bench, probably realizing his mistake and how it looked to the fans.
Rempe sure is a character, and someone who will lighten up the NHL for a long time. What a guy!
