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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The New York Rangers demoted fan favorite Matt Rempe to the Hartford Wolf Pack, their AHL affiliate, on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Rempe only appeared in two of the Rangers’ seven games this season and recorded neither a point nor a penalty minute. He had seven shifts and 3:40 of ice time on Oct. 12 against Utah. Against Toronto on October 19, he had 11 shifts and 7:37 of ice time. Otherwise he was a healthy guy.
The 1.90 meter tall Rempe caused a sensation in his 17 games for New York last season. He had a series of messy fights that caught the league’s attention, including one in his NHL debut against Matt Martin of the New York Islanders during the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium.
These fights and Rempe’s penalty goal resulted in 71 penalty minutes. That included a serious elbow strike on Jonas Siegenthaler of the New Jersey Devils that resulted in a four-game suspension by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in March.
His energetic play in limited minutes (5:38 per game) resulted in just one goal and one assist, but made him an instant cult hero for Rangers fans and sparked a movement colloquially known as “Rempe-Mania.” He appeared in 11 playoff games, scoring one goal.
Rempe said he made great strides in the offseason to improve his overall game and earn a spot on the Rangers’ roster. He spent most of his summer improving his hockey skills rather than his martial arts. This included nearly two months of power skating drills and working with Rangers teammate and mentor Chris Kreider on aspects of forecontrol and puck protection.
“The fighting makes up a very small part,” Rempe said in September. “I put a lot of emphasis on the skills, the skating and everything. I have to become a better player, so I have to work on that. I enjoyed it and I think I made a lot of progress this summer.”
But Rempe also spent time on his fighting technique, including a stint at former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque’s hockey camp in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Rangers felt that Rempe would benefit most from getting more ice time with Hartford to continue his progress. They were impressed with how he handled his lack of playing time and his eventual demotion back to the AHL, where he spent most of last season.
The Rangers have been one of the best teams in the NHL so far this season. Despite Thursday’s loss to the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, they are off to a 5-1-1 start.
