Former Seattle Thunderbird and Western Hockey League Western Conference Champion, Matt Rempe, was called up to the New York Rangers of the NHL on February 11th, 2024. Rempe was called up after one of the team veterans, Blake Wheeler, sustained a lower body injury. Rempe was drafted in 2020 in the sixth round by the New York Rangers and made his NHL Debut on February 18th, being the first NHL player to make their debut at the NHL Stadium Series.
Rempe, 21, played with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League from 2019-2022 before moving up the Ranger’s AHL affiliate team, the Hartford Wolfpack in the 2022-2023 season. Rempe began the season with Hartford before being called up. This season, he has 8 goals and 4 assists in the AHL. Before his professional career, Rempe spent 4 seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds racking up 30 goals and 29 assists. Rempe is known for his height and his fighting ability. Throughout his WHL career, Rempe totaled 158 penalties in minutes. Rempe is a big player standing at 6’8. He is known for throwing big hits and putting up big fights. But, as of recently, that’s all fans seem to think he is.
Jo White, a Tahoma High School sophomore and avid Thunderbirds fan, has been going to Thunderbirds games for 3 years and has gotten the chance to see Rempe play dozens of times. “I think Rempe was an amazing player here in Seattle. He worked really hard in the WHL and got into lots of fights which was kind of his job on our team but he wasn’t only a fighter, he was amazing on the ice.” Lynn Feighner, a Tahoma High School Senior and another avid Thunderbirds fan says she has been attending Thunderbirds games for as long as she can remember. Getting to see Rempe play in person several times, she has gotten to see all sides of how he plays, not just the fighting side of him. “I think he’s great! It’s been so cool to see his growth from him as a high schooler to where he ended up in his career in the WHL.” With Rempe putting up 30 goals and 29 assists throughout his WHL career, it’s no shock that he made an impact on the ice, not just as a fighter. Although Rempe put up many fights in his junior career, most of the time, he was standing up for his teammates. Rempe is a team player and is able to make smart decisions during games to score and help his teammates score.
As Rempe was known to be a fighter in the WHL, he has already recorded 4 fights in the NHL and 37 total penalty minutes, his first fight being his first shift in his NHL debut. With opinions from his fighting harming the league to only having the role of an enforcer, it’s no shock that Rempe is popular in the NHL and a player that fans constantly follow with their opinions. Rempe proved to the hockey community that he isn’t just a fighter, he’s also a goal scorer, by recording his first NHL goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on February 24th, 2024.
With all of the speculating opinions, one question going around is, will the NHL keep Rempe? Feighner and White shared their opinions, White saying “Yes, I think they will keep him because he is ding what is asked of him because not everyone in the NHL is good at fighting like him and can hold their weight there. He’s not only a good fighter, but also a great player.” While Feighner adds, “I can’t say, I don’t follow the Rangers so I’m not sure about their playing style.”
Seattle Thunderbirds fans and locals are extremely excited to see Rempe making an impact in the NHL so early on after his debut. White adds, “I think Rempe is doing an amazing job in the NHL. I think that he’s doing exactly what he should be doing because he’s a fighter and is getting the job done in those fights.” While Feighner comments, “It’s so cool to see someone from our hometown team succeeding at the level he is! I think he’s still young and has room to learn more as always, but him and his skills are promising and I can’t wait to see how he and the NHL grow together!”.
You can catch Matt Rempe in action on Saturday, March 9th, where he and the Rangers will be taking on the St Louis Blues. You can catch the game on MSG and Bally Sports and any other channel that broadcasts any NHL games.
