It was apparent last Thursday at the third annual Shoulder Check Showcase that both Matt Rempe and Brett Berard are seriously preparing for their next season as New York Rangers by putting on some pounds.
Rempe has already established a reputation as one the NHL's few current active enforcers, and is well known for being one of the league's biggest players. Berard is the opposite, known for being one of the smaller players on the Rangers' roster and one of the league's players under 6'0".
It appears that both are looking to add to their size though, as media reported at the annual charity hockey event that both offensive players looked noticeably bigger muscle and weight wise.
Berard and Rempe both looked noticeably thicker, with Berard noting he's put on extra muscle this summer. They're training at Prentiss Hockey Performance here in Stamford with Kreider, Jonathan Quick and a bunch of NHL guys. They both talked about how much that's pushed them.…
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) July 24, 2025
"It's all competitive," Rempe said to Vince Mercogliano when referencing what he's doing in terms of strength training. "We all want to put up the best numbers. I want to be the best in the gym. It's a lot of fun. You've got [Jonathan] Quickie in there — he's 40 and still slinging weights around. It's unreal."
Looking ahead to Berard and Rempe's 2025-26 season
The currently listed 5'9", 175 pound Berard finished his rookie campaign with 10 total points across six goals and four assists. His performance was very admirable, especially considering he recently revealed he played with a torn labrum during the 2024-25 campaign, an injury suffered shortly after joining the Rangers at the NHL level.
Rempe, currently listed at 6'9", 255 pounds, finished his second season in the league with eight points across three goals scored, five assists tallied and 42 games played.
Berard and Rempe have also been training at Prentiss Hockey Performance with Chris Kreider and Jonathan Quick among others to prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 league season.
Hopefully, Berard and Rempe putting in extra work in the weight room and getting noticeably thicker as a result will only make them as strong on the ice as they are in terms of lifting weights.