Matt Rempe just cannot help himself. The New York Rangers recalled him from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday, and he was promptly ejected for throwing a dirty hit in his first game back in the NHL on Friday.
Rempe’s latest ejection, his fourth in 22 career NHL games, came with the Rangers up 2-1 at the 12:49 mark of the third period against the Dallas Stars. With Miro Heiskanen tracking a puck along the boards in Dallas’s zone, Rempe labeled the star defender into the boards from behind.
Heiskanen’s head and neck were forced into the glass by Rempe’s right elbow. The 25-year-old rearguard briefly headed to the home locker room but was able to finish the game.
Rempe was assessed a five-minute major penalty for elbowing, a game misconduct, and a two-minute minor for roughing after the ensuing scrum. The penalties were Rempe’s first in the NHL since he received a roughing minor for another dirty hit in his last game for the Rangers on November 25.
Roope Hintz also received a two-minute minor for roughing, as he was the first Stars player to greet Rempe after the hit.
“First, I wasn’t sure did he get hurt or not, and then I saw that he was right there laying on the ice bleeding,” Hintz said postgame. “Dirty, [from] behind, and he’s obviously a big guy, so, yeah, just tried to go out there and do something.”
Rempe did not seem bothered by the penalties, instead choosing to taunt the booing Dallas crowd. He skated just 5:32 time on ice in the game.
The Stars could not score on their lengthy power play and went 0-for-7 on their man advantage overall. New York went on to win 3-1.
New York’s victory was just their third in December and put an end to a three-game losing skid. They moved up to fifth in the Metropolitan Division with the two standings points.
Rempe has spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL. In 18 games with the Wolf Pack, he is a minus-3 and has recorded five points (3g, 2a) and 22 penalty minutes.
