Matt Rempe is looking at likely the longest suspension of his short NHL career.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Saturday that Rempe was offered an in-person hearing after boarding and elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Friday night. Offering an in-person hearing allows the NHL to suspend Rempe for six games or more.
Rempe’s previous longest suspension was four games for elbowing Jonas Siegenthaler in the head last March.
NY Rangers’ Matt Rempe has been offered an in-person hearing for boarding/elbowing Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen. Date and time TBD.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 21, 2024
Rempe was ejected from the Rangers’ 3-1 win over Dallas and assessed 17 minutes of penalties, the primary one being a major for elbowing.
Rempe drove Heiskanen’s head and neck into the boards with his right elbow. The hit left the star defender bloodied and he briefly left the game for repairs.
“Numbers to him, that’s as boarding as boarding gets,” Stars color commentator Darryl Reaugh said. “This is about as nefarious and Nimrodian as you get. If that’s not five and stands up as five when he rocks the Stars’ best player with his numbers and nameplate facing him, I don’t know what is.”
Rempe threw the hit in his first game back in the NHL since November 25. He played just 5:32 of ice time before being ejected.
He will be considered a repeat offender due to his suspension for the hit on Siegenthaler. The 22-year-old forward has more career ejections (4) than points (2) in the NHL.
