Matt Rempe made a “huge impact” before being left out of the Rangers’ return

DALLAS – There were plenty of positives about Matt Rempe’s first game back with the Rangers in three and a half weeks until the 22-year-old rookie was ejected for the fourth time in his 22nd career NHL game.

Rempe took three penalties in the second period alone and scored five goals and a shot on goal in 5:27 minutes of ice time in the Blueshirts’ 3-1 win over the Stars on Friday night at the American Airlines Center.

However, after drilling Miro Heiskanen into the boards from behind and throwing the Stars defenseman to the ice, Rempe found himself at the center of a scuffle in front of the Dallas bench.

Because his right elbow came up when he hit, Rempe received a 5-minute penalty and a game misconduct penalty at the end of his evening.

“I thought he had a little bit of an edge at the end. He’s just such a big guy,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “We killed the five and are moving on.”

It is possible that Rempe will face an additional disciplinary penalty for the hit, but that will not be announced until Saturday.

A forward was out after the Kaapo Kakko transfer just before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, and the Rangers recalled Rempe on Wednesday night.

The 6-foot-2 forward will remain with the Rangers for at least the next three games as the league halts all roster moves, ending at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 28

“I thought he had a big impact on the game,” Laviolette said. “We would like to stay away from the 5-minute major, but he is doing his best to hit bodies and make a difference in the game. Our guys really committed to it.”

After bouncing back and forth between the NHL club and the minors for the first six and a half weeks of the season, Rempe adjusted to his new role with the Hartford Wolf Pack as a top-six skater and special teams contributor.

Although the start of the 2024-25 season didn’t turn out the way Rempe probably imagined after breaking onto the NHL scene last season, the 22-year-old has still enjoyed his increasing responsibility in the AHL and has a positive attitude about it preserved In the long run, this will all help him.

“I wouldn’t talk about a reset. I think it’s all just development,” Rempe said of how he handled his Hartford assignment before Friday’s win. “I have a long journey ahead of me. I’ve come a long way in a short period of time and I think the best thing for me is to just keep evolving and things like that.

“I don’t think I ever played longer than 12 minutes in my first few years in Hartford. I don’t think I’ve ever played a single second on special teams. I think if I suddenly play 18 minutes and am very effective, then I not only have to afford it, but I also have to earn it.”