New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe was ejected for the second time in his brief NHL career, this time for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in a 3-1 Rangers win on March 11.
Late in the second period, Rempe went in for a hit along the boards and stuck his elbow out, catching Siegenthaler in the face. Siegenthaler was visibly shaken up and did not return to play in the third period.
“He’s not doing great, obviously,” interim Devils coach Travis Green said of Siegenthaler in his postgame media availability. “He didn’t come back. You never want to see a player get hit like that.”
Green also noted that Rempe’s hit targeted Siegenthaler when he was “in a vulnerable position” and displayed “intent to injure the player.”
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced the following morning that Rempe will have a hearing to discuss the play in question. Per league rules, “no decision on Supplemental Discipline is made until the Player is given the opportunity to explain his actions.”
Devils’ MacDermid Says Rempe Should ‘Answer the Bell’ for His Actions
Devils forward Kurtis MacDermid, who had already challenged Rempe to a fight early in the first period, dropped his gloves and tried to challenge him again after the hit on Siegenthaler, but the two were separated by officials. MacDermid received a 10-minute misconduct for attempting to instigate the fight; Rempe waved at him as the two were escorted off the ice, causing the home crowd at Madison Square Garden to erupt into cheers.
“There’s a bit of a code, and I thought he would’ve answered that,” MacDermid said to reporters after the game. “I don’t know what he was told, but he said no. After a hit like that, it goes without saying you should answer the bell in some way, be a man about it.”
MacDermid, a veteran of seven NHL seasons who arrived in New Jersey via trade from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1, said he “wished he had gotten to [Rempe] quicker and taught him a lesson” before officials restrained him.
“There’s a right way to go about things and a wrong way,” MacDermid said. “I kind of lost a lot of respect for him… He’s a young kid in this league. He has a lot to learn still. You don’t do things like that your first year in the league especially.”
Rempe Likely to Face Supplemental Discipline from NHL Department of Player Safety
Rempe became an overnight sensation for recording fighting majors against noted NHL enforcers Matt Martin, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Reaves in his first seven games. What started as excitement about Rempe’s energy and physicality, however, has quickly devolved into a legitimate player safety concern.
“He’s fighting with some of the toughest customers in the league and taking frequent blows to the head,” writes The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. “That’s no joke.”
GettyRyan Reaves and Matt Rempe
The 6-foot-7, 241-pound rookie now has four fights and two ejections in just 11 games. His first ejection was also against the Devils on Feb. 22, when he delivered a hit that caught Nathan Bastian up high. Rempe did not face suspension or any other supplemental discipline for the play.
Rempe likely won’t avoid suspension this time, says The Athletic’s Arthur Staple, given that he stuck his elbow out as he attempted to hit Siegenthaler in the head. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said on Twitter/X that Rempe could be suspended a maximum of five games, since his hearing with the Department of Player Safety will take place over the phone.
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