Breaking: NHL Criticized Matt Rempe of the new yor rangers for his inability to
Matt Rempe stretched on the bench several minutes before warmups when the chants started.
A chorus of “Rempe! Rempe!” emerged from nearby New York Rangers fans, sounding almost like the Yankees “Bleacher Creatures” roll-calling players from the outfield.
The popular 6-foot-8 rookie waved and got a big cheer when he went down the tunnel.
Then, every time he touched the puck during the game in Washington, the Capitals crowd booed Rempe, unhappy about a hit he made two nights earlier that injured defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and sparked more criticism about his play. The 21-year-old forward shrugged it off, happy to play the villain role on the road knowing back home at Madison Square Garden he’ll be applauded just as much, if not more.
“I’ve got no issue with it,” Rempe said last weekend. “In New York there, they love it when I’m playing hard. And if you go on the road and they don’t like it, that means you’re playing hard, you’re playing physical.”
That’s what the Rangers want from Rempe, called up in February to bring some size and toughness to a team that went on to finish atop the NHL and win the Presidents’ Trophy. They’ll next face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of their pursuit of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1994.
