February 18, 2024, was the night Matt Rempe exploded onto the NHL scene, debuting for the New York Rangers against their in-state rivals, the Islanders, in a Stadium Series spectacle. He wasted no time setting the tone: straight from his rookie lap at MetLife Stadium in front of 80,000 fans, he skated directly into a fight with Matt Martin, sending the building into a bloodthirsty frenzy.
Rempe’s feel‑good story swept through the Rangers fan base instantly. At 6'9" and over 250 pounds—the tallest active player in the NHL—he brought a rare mix of size, energy, and youthful fearlessness. He became a cult favorite overnight.
He also became the Blueshirts’ de facto enforcer. In his rookie season, he was essentially hunting for a fight every night. That’s not a sustainable way to survive in the NHL—let alone in real life—but he kept swinging, and for a stretch during the 2022–23 season, he was a weekly talking point across the league.
The shine has worn off a bit since then, but his eagerness to fight hasn’t. If you need proof, just look at Rempe’s “fight tracker” (yes, that’s a real website that logs every bout in the NHL). And when you sift through those fights—as I did, meticulously—you’ll notice a disturbing trend:
Matt Rempe barely wins any of them
He’s tough as nails, he’ll stand up for his teammates at the drop of a glove, and that’s admirable. But you can’t call someone an enforcer when they’re winning maybe 20% of their fights. It’s not good for his health, and it can’t be great for the bench to watch a good kid get tuned up by seasoned heavyweights. They love him, they respect him, but watching your teammate get pummeled isn’t exactly morale‑boosting.
The latest example came on October 23rd against former Ranger Ryan Reaves. They agreed pregame to drop the gloves, squared up, and Reaves landed several clean shots. The fight ended with Rempe breaking his left thumb and missing 24 games.
In his absence, Sam Carrick quietly filled the enforcer role—and did it well—despite that not being the entirety of his game. Now Rempe is back in the lineup on the fourth line alongside Carrick, but he still can’t fight while his thumb heals. Honestly, that might be the best thing for him. It forces him to just play hockey and rediscover what his actual game can be.
Because Matt Rempe’s value to the Rangers isn’t in how many fights he gets into. He’s a better player than that. Fighting helps you endear yourself to teammates early on, sure, but coaches want players who help them win games. Rempe can do that if he’s steered toward a more productive role.
The Rangers coaching staff needs to lean into his strengths: his physicality, his size, and his ability to be a consistent net‑front presence. Give him 4–5 games on the second power‑play unit and leave him there. He’s a literal wall for goalies to look around, and his frame makes him a nightmare to move when he’s screening the crease.
Yet the Rangers rarely use him this way. He’s a weapon they treat like an afterthought. He’s surprisingly agile for his size, and they barely tap into that.
And he’s only 23. He still has time to grow into his body and bulk up. Put him on the Hugh Jackman Wolverine diet and he’d probably embrace it—he’s a gamer who will do anything to help his team win. His biggest strength is simple: he wants it more than everyone else. He cares, he works, he wants to make a difference. That’s the kind of player you can mold into an absolute force.
The Rangers need to prioritize developing Matt Rempe into a complete player. Even if he tops out as a 30‑point guy, that could be the difference between winning and losing tight games. That’s how you build a balanced roster.
And imagine if Rempe becomes a true force by playoff time. He’d give the Rangers an edge few teams have had since Tom Wilson’s heyday. Better yet, he’s only costing them $975k per year for the next two seasons.
Matt Rempe needs to stay in the lineup in at least a fourth‑line role, no matter what. The Rangers might have an elite bottom‑six weapon on their hands—someone who can tilt a game with a single hit. He’s their potential ace in the hole, the guy who could flip the table and blackjack the house for the New York Rangers.