At the second game in the 2024 Stadium series, where the New York Rangers played the New York Islanders, a hockey player made history as the first player to make his NHL debut at an outdoor NHL game.
That player was 21 year old Calgary native, Matt Rempe. The forward was called up to the Rangers’ team after veteran Blake Wheeler went down with a leg injury, causing him to miss the rest of this season.
The 6’7” Canadian began his 2023-2024 season playing 43 games for the Hartford Wolfpack. During that period, he notched eight goals and four assists. Even though he was not a focal point of his team’s attack, he certainly was on the defensive end. The 2020 NHL draft pick was a player known around the AHL to throw some punches, notching 16 fights in his first two seasons in the AHL.
“I play a hard, physical game that runs on adrenaline, so I’m going be juiced up to the max. I think I’d be buzzing out there. How can you not be going, with all the fans and playing outdoors? Like, this is pure hockey. It’s unreal,” Rempe said ahead of the game.
About one minute and 29 seconds into the game, Rempe got into a fight with the Islanders’ veteran Matt Martin on his first NHL shift with the Rangers. Although both players traded punches back and forth, neither one of them went down onto the ice before the referees had to come and break it up.
Not only was Rempe’s NHL debut or the Rangers’ 6-5 comeback win in overtime significant, but it was also the sixth year anniversary of his father’s death.
The Calgary native’s week did not stop there, though.
The fight between the two lasted for an uncommon 37 seconds.
To really seal the deal for the team, Rempe scored the game-winning goal, putting the score at 2-1.
Later in an interview with ABC, Rempe said that Deslauriers challenged him at warmups, and he obliged.
In just his fourth game with the Rangers, he dropped the gloves again with Philadelphia Flyers’ go-to fighter, veteran Nicolas Deslauriers, just three minutes into the first period.
Then, the next day, Rempe got into another fight against the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Mathieu Olivier in their first shift. Just like the fight against Deslauriers, it was a proposition given at warmups that he could not refuse.
Even though the Rangers lost this game 4-2 and the Blue Jackets collapsed their 10-game winning streak, Rempe assisted Adam Edstrom’s goal in the second period.
“Very eventful first week. I’m loving it…I want to bring that physicality, that edge to the team, bring speed, fly in there, bang bodies, go to the net and I think I’m doing that. I’m having so much fun.” Rempe remarked in an interview with ABC.
With players like captain Jacob Trouba, the Rangers are known to be an incredibly physical team. Even with the loss of Wheeler, the forward adds that extra depth they need as the team works towards the playoffs and games against teams who are as equally physical.
“Rempe came in here and provided exactly what we wanted him to do,” head coach Peter Laviolette said after Rempe’s first game.
With such an impactful first week in the NHL, it will be exciting to see what else Rempe will have in store for Ranger’s fans for the rest of the season.
Prepare to have your popcorn ready.