The love affair that began last season between New York Rangers fans and Matt Rempe is showing no signs of cooling down as the towering forward prepares for his first full season in the NHL.
Rempe burst on to the scene and made an immediate connection with the Blueshirts Faithful on Feb. 18 last season. That afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the likeable 6-foot-8 rookie fought Matt Martin of the New York Islanders on the first shift of his NHL debut. In front of 79,000 fans.
Rousing fights against Nic Deslauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers and Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets soon followed, as did re-igniting a feud with the New Jersey Devils and scoring his first NHL goal against the Flyers. In no time, Rempe heard his name being chanted at Madison Square Garden, even if he was only averaging five minutes of ice-time per game.
Rempe’s mere presence on the bench when he surveyed the ice before pregame warmups at MSG sent the crowd into a tizzy. So, it’s no surprise how the roof blew off the building when he scored New York’s first goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 1 of the first round against the Washington Capitals.
So, yeah, these Rangers fans love Rempe. And that bond is sure to grow after Rempe’s latest public comments about them.
“It’s unbelievable. Pretty crazy still thinking about it, it feels like a dream,” Rempe said at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase this week. “They’re the best fans in the world and you want to go to battle for them every single time. When they start chanting your name, it’s surreal. You feel like you’re floating almost when they’re buzzing.”
Think that’ll fire the hometown fans up even more?
Rempe still needs to earn a spot on the opening-night roster, but you can bet that if he does, as expected, land among the top 13 forwards, he’s going to be welcomed back to MSG with wide-open arms from those who bleed blue.
Matt Rempe has ‘taken big strides’ to be complete player for Rangers this season
Rempe told reporters at the showcase that he plans to be smarter about when he chooses to fight this season. That’s something he started to do last season, when he wisely avoided fights down the stretch and throughout the playoffs.
His goal is to be a more complete player, one who’s trusted by coach Peter Laviolette to play a smart, fast-paced, aggressive style — perhaps even as a penalty killer one day.
“I highly prioritize the skills and the skating. I’ve got to become a better player, so that’s what I’ve got to work on,” explained Rempe, who’s worked out with Chris Kreider regularly in the offseason. “I think I’ve taken big strides this summer with that.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on fighting. Rempe enjoys that part of his role and understands its value to the Rangers.
And he also appreciates how Georges Laraque and other legendary former NHL enforcers have reached out to him with advice and support in his journey to be a regular force in the League.
“It’s really special,” Rempe said. “They’re all reaching out, loving what I’m doing and they want to give me advice. I love it. I want to learn as much as I can. They have so much experience … so to learn all those things is unbelievable.”
So, Rempe plans on earning a spot on the fourth line, improving his all-around play and remaining one of the most feared fighters in the League this season.
And building on that love affair with Rangers fans that began last season.
