The biggest player in the NHL, Matt Rempe, got the New York Rangers started in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the first goal. His eagerness to go off against some of the League’s heavyweights was more renowned than his actual fighting ability during his debut season. This offseason, Rempe is working to hone that skill by training with former NHL heavyweight Georges Laraque, who accumulated 1,126 penalty minutes over the course of 12 seasons.
Everyone knows about Rempe’s fighting ability, therefore the legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler said that he should concentrate on skating instead. Rempe expressed his desire to enhance his skating skills and establish himself as a reliable alternative for coach Peter Laviolette during the breakup that followed the Rangers’ elimination from the Eastern Conference Final in Game 6 at the hands of the Florida Panthers.
Rempe’s fighting abilities propelled him to stardom in the National Hockey League. His breakout performance came on February 18 during the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium, when he faced off against New York Islanders tough guy Matt Martin. His most notable incident was on April 3, when he engaged in a line brawl with Kurtis MacDermid before a game against the New Jersey Devils. If Rempe wants Laviolette to trust him next season, he needs to tighten up everywhere.
Rempe played the most minutes in the playoffs (ten minutes and six seconds) in Game 2 versus Florida out of eleven games. After only 2:43 of action in Game 5 of that series, Rempe was benched for Game 6. It would be beneficial for the 22-year-old if his collaboration with Laraque yielded results beyond just fighting.
