Matt Rempe and the Rangers Need To Decide What He’s Going To Be
Matt Rempe brings undeniable energy and heart to the New York Rangers, but his second suspension in only 22 career games necessitates the Rangers and Rempe get serious about his future.
I really want to like Matt Rempe.
One of the biggest complaints that I and many others have lodged against the Rangers over the last several weeks of losses is that they play with no heart, no fire, no passion at all. There's no denying that Rempe brings that to the rink with him. The Garden crowd loves him. His teammates seem to feed off his energy.
He's shown he's capable of affecting the game in a positive way for the Rangers. He's a better-than-average skater for a player his size. Opposing players look over their shoulder when retrieving the puck in their own zone when they know Rempe is on the ice. On Friday night in Dallas, he drew three penalties. And, while some people are making way too much of a causal connection, the Rangers are 16-4-2 when he suits up, dating back to last season. That's not nothing.
That's Matt Rempe the hockey player. There's also Matt Rempe the person.
The stories of him catching frogs with Jonathan Quick's son. The ebullient golden retriever energy he exudes. The casual useage of "Jimmy Crickets" as an expression as if he were starring in a 1920s black and white movie rather than doing a post-game interview. His nickname on the Wolf Pack is, inexplicably, "Dizzler." He listens to Lana del Rey. He loves graham crackers.
That's the Matt Rempe I want like. That's the good Matt Rempe.
Then, there's the Matt Rempe we saw at 7:13 of the third period in Dallas.
