-
Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
New York Rangers rookie forward Matt Rempe was suspended four games by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday after elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head Monday night.
It’s the first suspension of Rempe’s 10-game NHL career. Rempe will forfeit $17,083.32, with the money going to the players’ emergency assistance fund. He can appeal the suspension to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who would have the final say on that appeal.
Rempe was given a game misconduct with 30 seconds remaining in the second period of the Rangers’ 3-1 win over the Devils.
Siegenthaler held up near the red line after shooting the puck into the attacking zone. Rempe skated toward him and stretched his left arm to connect with Siegenthaler’s head. The on-ice officials conferred, reviewed the play, and confirmed that Rempe had earned a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct.
Siegenthaler did not return for the third period, and Devils coach Travis Green said “he’s not doing great” when asked about his status.
After the game, the Devils called for Rempe to be suspended, with Green saying the Rangers forward had “some intent there to injure” on his hit.
“He’s a huge guy, and he’s throwing his elbows around like that,” said Devils forward Kurtis MacDermid of 6-foot-7 Rempe. “You’ve got to learn how to hit properly and not injure players.”
In its ruling, the NHL Department of Player Safety believed Rempe raised his arm up into Siegenthaler’s head after realizing he had mistimed his check.
The counterargument from Rempe, the Rangers and the NHLPA was that the contact was unavoidable because Siegenthaler stopped short and that Rempe might have just been bracing himself for impact against the boards.
The NHL disagreed. “Rempe is clearly committed to throwing a check on this play. Having ended up at an angle of approach that would take him across the front of Siegenthaler’s body and potentially miss him entirely, Rempe chooses to flare his elbow both up and away from his body in dangerous fashion, driving it directly into the head of Siegenthaler with substantial force,” the league said in its ruling.
The four-game suspension means Rempe will miss Tuesday night’s critical game against the Carolina Hurricanes, as well as games against other Eastern Conference teams the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins, plus Sunday’s showdown at Madison Square Garden against the New York Islanders.
Rempe has quickly become one of the most divisive players in the NHL during his brief career in the league. As well as being 6-7, he plays a physical game. Rangers fans have chanted his name at Madison Square Garden, as Rempe has become a cult hero despite not seeing the ice that often. Through the win over the Devils on Monday, Rempe has nearly as many penalty minutes (54) as minutes played (56:28) in his NHL career.
He debuted in the Rangers’ Stadium Series win over the Islanders at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 18, fighting on his first NHL shift in that game.
This was Rempe’s second game misconduct in as many meetings against the Devils. On Feb. 22, Rempe was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Devils forward Nathan Bastian just 2:22 into the first period. The NHL opted not to hand Rempe any supplemental discipline for that hit. Bastian hasn’t played in a game since then.
MacDermid tried to engage Rempe in a fight a few times during Monday’s contest to avenge Bastian, with Rempe refusing. After the hit on Siegenthaler, MacDermid dropped his gloves to fight Rempe and again was rebuffed, with the on-ice officials also stepping in.
“I asked him. There’s a bit of a code. I thought he would’ve answered that. I don’t know what he was told, but he said no,” MacDermid said of Rempe. “And after a hit like that [on Bastian], it kind of goes without saying you should answer the bell in some way and be a man about it. Then he throws another hit that gets him kicked out and with a possible suspension. So, there’s a right way to go about things and the wrong way.”
MacDermid was given a 10-minute misconduct for trying to fight Rempe after the hit on Siegenthaler.