TARRYTOWN ‒ A smiling Matt Rempe walked into the Rangers’ locker room on the MSG Coaching Middle following Thursday’s non-obligatory follow, regarded round on the horde of reporters and easily stated: “That was a banger.”
He was, in fact, describing the road brawl that broke out between the Blueshirts and Devils as quickly because the puck dropped in Wednesday’s 4-3 win at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The best way an animated Rempe advised the story, dropping the gloves to squash the meat between he and New Jersey enforcer Kurtis MacDermid got here as no shock. However the way in which it performed out, with 4 different fights erupting concurrently, had the 6-foot-8 rookie grinning from ear to ear.
“These guys are my brothers,” he stated. “That wasn’t deliberate or something. It simply form of occurred naturally. I feel that was actually particular that they did that, as properly. I knew that I used to be going to need to struggle. It’s not a giant deal − reply the bell sort of factor. It occurs, however for them to go to struggle with me was fairly dang particular. … I really like all these guys.”
It become a galvanizing second for the playoff-bound Rangers.
“I might be mendacity if I stated it wasn’t a team-building train,” stated captain Jacob Trouba, who was among the many 5 Rangers’ fighters and one in all 4 who was then tossed from the sport. “We’re all on this factor collectively. He is not left on the market on his personal. We’re all with him, each step of the way in which.”
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‘It was depraved’
The Rempe-MacDermid throwdown had been brewing for weeks.
MacDermid wasn’t even with the Devils when Rempe laid out Nathan Bastian and drew blood within the Rangers’ 5-1 win in Newark on Feb. 22, however nonetheless took it upon himself to repeatedly problem the 21-year-old throughout the subsequent assembly between the 2 rivals on Mar. 11. Rempe did not take the bait, however was later assessed a game-misconduct penalty for elbowing and concussing Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.
That resulted in a four-game suspension, with MacDermid calling him out publicly after the sport for not honoring “the code.”
“Me personally, I do not suppose he needed to struggle after the primary hit (on Bastian),” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette stated. “He had a clear hit on any individual. It received charged within the sport, however then the league got here again and stated there’s actually nothing right here – only a large man hitting arduous. Then the second sport occurred.”
Rempe has apologized for the hit that injured Siegenthaler and referred to it as “an accident. He additionally stated he had no downside with MacDermid standing up for his teammate and anticipated settling it as soon as and for all Wednesday.
When the beginning lineups had been introduced, with each Laviolette and Devils coach Travis Inexperienced opting to ship out their fourth strains, he knew it was on.
“MacDermid was like, ‘We’re going proper now,'” Rempe recalled as they lined up for the opening faceoff. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I do know. I feel there’s a motive why we’re beginning.’ … It was depraved.”
As the 2 hulking brawlers squared up with each other, the opposite Rangers on the ice − Trouba, Barclay Goodrow, Ok’Andre Miller and Jimmy Vesey − spontaneously discovered their very own dancing companions.
For numerous causes, these fights ended moderately rapidly. However the heavyweight bout between Rempe and MacDermid went on for practically a minute and a half.
“That was a protracted struggle,” stated Rempe, who referred to as MacDermid “the largest and strongest” opponent he is confronted but. “He is an actual robust buyer. That man is a giant boy. Sturdy, been one of many hardest guys within the league for a very long time, and he has his job to do. You gotta respect that.”
‘He discovered’
As soon as the mud settled, all 10 skaters − which included Kevin Bahl, Curtis Lazar, John Marino, Chris Tierney for the Devils − headed to the penalty field to serve what they figured can be five-minute majors.
To their shock, they quickly discovered concerning the NHL rule that states “a sport misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any participant who’s assessed a serious penalty for combating after the unique altercation.”
It was decided that Vesey and Lazar had been the primary to interact, which meant the opposite eight gamers who fought had been all getting ejected.
“I believed I used to be going to have 5 minutes in (the penalty field) with the fellas,” Rempe stated. “We had been going to be cuddled up in there, getting cozy and having time. However then we go in there, they usually’re like, ‘You’re gone.’ I used to be like, ‘You’re kidding me?’ I had no concept that was a rule. I used to be like, ‘Dang it. My (time on ice) didn’t go up that sport.’ “
Rempe, Goodrow, Miller and Trouba retreated to the locker room for the rest of the sport, the place they received a exercise in and had been entertained by the amped-up rookie.
“I used to be leaping round, working round, doing flips,” Rempe stated with one other large smile. “You are seeing all of the feedback on social media. They had been humorous. I used to be studying them out loud to the fellas, they usually had been laughing. It was cool.”
Upon watching the replay, Rempe stated he got here away most impressed with Miller, who had his approach with Marino in his first profession struggle.
They had been among the many final gamers to interact, with Miller coolly describing the way it went down.
“I used to be watching the fireworks go off, and impulsively I noticed one in all their guys come over to our facet of the ice,” he stated. “He checked out me, form of gave me a nod, and I used to be like, ‘Eh, why not?’ I believed it was going to be a nasty concept. I suppose he discovered.”
Residing his finest life
The locker room was nonetheless buzzing about all the occasion the following day, with Rempe essentially the most jazzed of all of them.
“He is residing his finest life proper now,” Laviolette stated with a smile of his personal.
The Calgary native has introduced refreshing enthusiasm and candor since his memorable debut within the NHL Stadium Sequence at MetLife Stadium. He is having a blast, however with simply six video games remaining within the common season, he is additionally itching for an opportunity to solidify his place within the lineup.
Laviolette indicated he’ll have alternatives to just do that in these ultimate weeks, including plain leisure worth and intrigue for the house stretch.
“I need to present to the teaching employees that I is usually a actually efficient participant in playoffs,” stated Rempe, who’s appeared in 14 video games to date however has solely accrued 76 minutes of complete ice time. “I’ve simply received to maintain working on daily basis. After I was out of the lineup, I’m working with the coaches on every part and simply attempting to attempt to get higher.
“I need to be participant. I do not need to simply be often called a man who simply fights. I need to be often called a man who’s robust, however I need to be often called a man who, ‘Wow, this man is a really efficient bottom-six ahead who can skate, be actually good checker, may be bodily, be good defensively, possibly finally be a penalty killer sooner or later.’ That is what I need to be.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Community. Learn extra of his work at lohud.com/sports activities/rangers/ and observe him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.