Matt Rempe delivered another controversial hit that could draw the attention of NHL Player Safety.
Rempe’s latest bad decision came early in the New York Rangers’ game against the Nashville Predators, Sunday night. Four minutes and seven seconds into the first period, Rempe elbowed Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg in the head as he delivered a big hit into the end boards. The collision bounced Blankenburg’s head off the glass like a basketball.
Andreas Englund raced over to Rempe and dropped his gloves after seeing his defense partner slow to get up from the check. Both men’s noses were left bloodied by the ensuing bout.
Somehow, Rempe escaped with just a two-minute minor penalty for elbowing and a five-minute major for fighting. Englund received a two-minute minor and a ten-minute misconduct for instigating and a five-minute major for fighting.
Englund has 58 fights in his professional career across eight seasons in the AHL and NHL with the Predators, Kings, Blackhawks, Avalanche, and Senators organizations. Sunday’s fight was the 27th of Rempe’s career since he turned pro ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
While Rempe escaped a major penalty for his hit, NHL Player Safety will likely take a closer look at the play in the coming hours. The former sixth-round pick was doled out his first significant suspension earlier this season, getting banned eight games for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
“Remps is just such a big man,” Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette told the New York Post’s Mollie Walker postgame. “He was forechecking. When he hits, he’s just higher than everybody else. I don’t think he hit him, I think he maybe grazed him a little bit. I think it was more of a miss. That’s his game, as well. He’s got to do it within the rules, but we also need him forechecking.”
Close replays of the hit show Rempe getting nothing but Blankenburg’s head on the play. Luckily, the defender was not injured and played 17:37 of ice time in Nashville’s 4-0 loss.
Rempe has been with the Rangers since returning to the club’s lineup from the AHL and promptly throwing the Heiskanen hit on December 20. After serving his suspension, he has played in 20 games for New York, recording four points (2g, 2a).
