In his fourth NHL game, New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe had an eventful outing against the Philadelphia Flyers, earning a victory both in a physical fight and by scoring the winning goal. Rempe, making his NHL debut outdoors in the Stadium Series, engaged in a fight with the Flyers’ Nicolas Deslauriers during warm-ups before the game, agreeing to the challenge thrown by Deslauriers.
The fight, which occurred three minutes into the first period, lasted an unusually long 37 seconds, with both players throwing and landing several punches. Deslauriers eventually knocked Rempe to the ice, but Rempe’s physicality left the Flyers forward with a cut on his forehead.
Crazy hockey fight in the NHL pic.twitter.com/GsuobUVJTg
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) February 24, 2024
Mid-game fight during Rangers and Flyers clash urges fans to take digs at other sports; Matt Rempe earns praises too
Fans reacted in a competitive way as they took this chance to compare it to the premier basketball league, the NBA, and several other sports. They took to the social media to talk about how fighting is prevalent in hockey and the other games lack the physicality. A particular fan said “Imagine this but in the NBA”
Imagine this but in the NBA
— clipsta (@clipsxllc) February 24, 2024
Hockey >>>>> every other sport
— 𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖈 🫧 (@stvmbles) February 24, 2024
While many fans saw this as a test of strength, fans also praised Matt Rempe for his grit and show of vigor as the 21-year-old stood his ground against the 33-year-old Deslauriers.
Rempe is in his 4th nhl game too. Kids a unit
— PSR Vigor #GoNoles🍢 (@PSFVigor) February 25, 2024
Despite the lengthy fight, Rempe’s impact wasn’t limited to the physical aspect of the game. In the third period, at 6:31, Rempe scored the winning goal during a 2-1 victory for the Rangers. Positioned in front of the net, Rempe acted as a screen for Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson when a deflection from Barclay Goodrow’s shot banked in off Rempe’s leg. Originally credited to Goodrow, the goal was later changed to Rempe.
Reflecting on his NHL career through four games, Matt Rempe acknowledged an eventful first week, expressing his love for bringing physicality, speed, and an edge to the team. In terms of statistics, Rempe accumulated a little over 15 minutes of ice time, 27 penalty minutes, 10 hits, three shots, one goal, and one game-winning goal. The victory against the Flyers extended the Rangers’ winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games, contributing to the excitement of Rempe’s rookie experience in the NHL.
Read more: This Vancouver Canucks Rookie went from going undrafted to winning the MVP: All you need to know
