It isn't unusual for an NHL veteran to take in a younger player while the up-and-comer gets used to being a professional hockey player. After all, rookie contracts don't bring a ton of money to the table and there's also the fact that housing prices are skyrocketing these days.
New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe revealed on Thursday that he'll be living with teammate and goaltender Jonathan Quick during the 2024-25 season, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh. When asked about his new living arrangements, the 22-year-old forward had a hilarious answer.
"I'm their oldest child," Rempe said about living with the Quick family.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) September 19, 2024Matt Rempe said he will live with Jonathan Quick and his family all year if he's up with the NHL club.
"I'm their oldest child," he joked.
He said he catches frogs with the kids, and the 4-year-old likes to try to fight him. "He gave me a headbutt!" pic.twitter.com/fzPtw0pFg3
According to Remy Mastey of The Hockey News, Rempe added that the situation has been "awesome" and that he's been catching frogs with Quick's four-year-old son, Cash. Although the Rangers' bruiser isn't great at frog-catching, fighting is something that Rempe is known for and it's led to some fun scraps with his new buddy.
"(Cash) gave me a headbutt the other day and I said, ‘Oh that's a good one,'" Rempe joked when talking about the fighting pointers he's given to Quick's son.
When asked about what it's like sharing a household with a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, the 6-foot-7, 241-pound bruiser didn't hold back his excitement.
"(Quick has) won Stanley Cups, he is a great mentor, unbelievable player," Rempe told reporters. "He is a Hall of Famer and it's an unbelievable opportunity for me to learn from him and his family."
A former 2020 sixth-round pick, Rempe finally made his Rangers debut during the 2023-24 season. While he didn't make much of an offensive impact (one goal, one assist in 17 games), it was his physicality that earned him a reputation around the league.
Rempe finished his first taste of NHL action with a whopping 71 penalty minutes (PIMs) and 50 hits while only averaging less than six minutes of ice time per night. He also scored a goal while tallying 38 hits and 10 PIMs across 17 playoff games.
REMPE GETS HIS FIRST NHL GOAL pic.twitter.com/AAFeH6FBs9
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 24, 2024
While Rempe showed some promise during his first NHL season, cracking this year's Rangers roster isn't guaranteed. Head coach Peter Laviolette made it clear on Wednesday that he expects the second-year forward to work his way onto the roster just like anyone else.
With training camp officially underway, Rempe's first real chance to impress Laviolette will come when the Rangers open the 2024-25 NHL preseason against the Boston Bruins on Sept. 22.
