Getty New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe reflected on his postseason run.
The New York Rangers couldn’t get over the hump and will extend the Stanley Cup drought for over 30 years after falling to the Florida Panthers in six games in the conference finals.
For rookie Matt Rempe, however, nothing has changed since he was born in 2002. By then, it had already been eight years since the 1994 Rangers championship run that ended with the fourth trophy in franchise history.
Rempe, who made his NHL debut in February 2024, missed the Game 6 loss ending in a 2-1 win by the hosts Panthers. He only played 2:43 minutes in Game 5 and didn’t grace the ice at all for most of the second period while missing the third frame entirely.
Rempe sounded happy with the Rangers postseason run, his development, the love fans are showing him, and his enjoyment of the playoffs.
“It’s kind of surreal hearing them chant,” Rempe said on May 30, via New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro, before playing one last game (Game 5) with the Rangers in his rookie season. “It’s like a dream. It gives you energy. It makes you want to go out there and blow someone up.”
Even though most fans hadn’t heard his name before he debuted in the Stadium Series match against cross-town rivals the New York Islanders on February 18, Rempe turned into a fan favorite overnight and stole the hearts of all Rangers fans.
“[Florida] is my favorite team to play against so far,” he said. “I love it. So much energy against them. Even if I’m on the bench [Panthers players] are chirping at me, giving it right back to me. It keeps you in the game.”
Matt Rempe’s Skills & Approach to the Game Made Him Lovable
If one thing defined Rempe’s rookie season with the Rangers that was physicality.
The rookie, already a towering 6-foot-8 mammoth of a kid, wasted no time in making a name for himself. That, of course, was because of his fighting prowess, competing in five bouts through just his first seven regular-season games.
Rempe, however, kept his fists under lock for the most part during the playoffs, something he said was working on so he could help the Rengers on the ice instead of sitting in the penalty box.
“I don’t want to take penalties,” Rempe said. “That’s the last thing I want to do. So, I’m trying to be careful. Not ‘careful,’ that’s the wrong word.
“When I’m playing, I want to play all-out, but I’ve got to make sure my arms are tucked, and I’m doing a better job with that.”
Rempe finished the playoffs by appearing in 11 games but missing the most important outing of the season. Head coach Peter Laviolette scratched him for Game 6 after only using him for 2:43 minutes in Game 5 before sitting him for virtually the second half of the game.
The rookie amassed 67 minutes of playing time across those 11 games playing in all three postseason series disputed by New York this year. He scored 1 goal in the Rangers postseason opener against the Washington Capitals, the first goal scored by the franchise in this season’s playoffs.
“I think I’ve improved, I’ve gotten better,” Rempe said. “Better defensively, better in my all-around game. I think it’s showing. I’m getting better with the puck, skating better. I thought I had some good looks [in Game 4], I thought we created some offense.”
Rangers Lost 3 Consecutive Games With & Without Rempe
Although Rempe has generated a lot of headlines during the last two months of the season, his small role within the team excuses him for the Rangers postseason whiff.
New York lost three consecutive games to the Panthers in the conference finals after starting the series with a 2-1 lead. Rempe appeared in Games 2, 3, 4, and 5 but he missed Game 6 as a healthy scratch.
Laviolette couldn’t ice Blake Wheeler, who was feeling under the water but decided to use Jonny Brodzinski instead of Rempe, most probably because of his wider offensive skill set.
“I want to add more and more to my game, add to the toolbox. I know it’s going to take time because I’ve got a lot to work on, but I thought I had some good chances [in Game 4],” Rempe said on May 30. “I’m trying to make plays, trying to make things happen, trying to be a more well-rounded player.”
Rempe wrapped up the regular season with 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) in 17 games logging 96 minutes of playing time and spending 71 more in the box. He completed 50 regular-season hits and blocked 5 shots.
In the playoffs, Rempe only sat 10 minutes in the penalty box while completing 38 hits and blocking four shots, limiting his negative-impact plays and staying on the ice for most of his minutes instead of getting penalized.