The Blessing and the Curse of Matt Rempe’s Role on the Rangers
The Rangers forward is straddling the line between reinvigorating the team and heading down a dark path.
Where were you when you heard about Derek Boogard?
It was that rare time when hockey made mainstream American news: New York Rangers forward found dead at twenty-eight. One of the highest paid players of his class, he was in the first year of a juicy four-year contract for a fighter. And he passed away in his sleep after a career of punches and hits to the head.
By now, you’ve seen the chatter about the Blueshirts’ record with Matt Rempe in the lineup. It’s not something numbers can always quantify, but there’s an undeniable energy there. The team is 22-6-4 with the 22 year-old-rookie on the ice, and 22-23-1 without. That’s a points-percentage difference of 0.750 to 0.489. You can argue that it’s simply a limited sample size, but you can’t deny that there is something different about the roster when Rempe laces up his skates.
“I can't think of a player that's come in and had that impact on a team, on a fanbase, on a city,” head coach Peter Laviolette said last April.
Former Ranger Barclay Goodrow spoke to that impact last season, saying, “Whenever you see a guy that loves coming into the rink, always has a smile on his face, that spreads through the room.”
World-class goaltender Igor Shesterkin has even taken note of this. He’s developed a rather adorable attachment to Rempe, with the two players now partaking in a post-win ritual where they softly punch each other in the head. Shesterkin’s even spoken about how having a fighter like Rempe on the team gives him peace of mind and how he appreciates his protection. As the netminder said last season, “If something happens, Remps can jump in and kill somebody.”
All of this indicates that Rempe’s controversial place on the Rangers’ roster is good for the team and its players. The question remains: Is it good for Rempe?
