Matt Rempe Vows To Keep Fighting During the Next NHL Season

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Joshua Deeds
September 5, 2024 (8:15 PM)

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Matt Rempe is the newest heavyweight in the NHL and many believe he may have fought too many times last year.

But Rempe, the enforcer doesn't follow that logic.

Rempe feels his age is an advantage, especially when it comes to facing older enforcers like Ryan Reaves, or Nic Deslauriers.

"No, not at all. You've got to think that I'm 21 years old in the NHL and I have legends like [Matt] Martin and [Nicolas] Deslauriers, all those guys who want to fight. I'm in no position to say 'no' there. I think that they're giving me an opportunity, and I 100 percent want to do that," Rempe said via Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

The 21-year-old enforcer is one of the hottest new NHL players, and many players want to fight him. It's hard to reject.

Fighting is one of his favorite parts of the game and doesn't plan to stop doing it anytime soon.

"But I really enjoy it. That's the thing as well," Rempe said. "I don't know. I want to be a hockey player but it's part of the game. It's a nice tool to have."

Rempe doesn't just want to fight but wants to continue refining his skills. This explains why he took part in training with Georges Laraque this summer. In what could've been viewed as a publicity stunt, was a lesson Rempe learned much from.

"He showed me lots of things, little tricks, little things. Helped me with my reach more. Protect myself better. Just got better at fighting," Rempe said. "He's a guy with a lot of experience and it was really helpful and he was awesome. So I really appreciated him taking the time for that."

His goal this season is to grow into the enforcer role further and protect his teammates.

"When to fight on my own terms. Not so much the staged fighting, but more natural [fighting] if it happens. Protecting teammates, standing up for teammates, standing up for myself. Always making sure it benefits the team. That you're doing it at the most advantageous time possible for you, so you're maximizing the value of that fight for the team," Rempe said.

Rempe's 2024-2025 season, should excite Rangers fans as he should be a well-rounded enforcer, thanks to Laraque.

Source: The Hockey News
Matt Rempe Doesn't Plan To Stop Fighting Any Time Soon