This past week, the New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, and in a corresponding move, they recalled hulking forward Matt Rempe from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.
When asked about his return, Rempe confessed that he was looking forward to playing his game instead of simply being the goon that his reputation around the league has become.
Unsurprisingly however, that didn't last long, as Rempe brought back the style of play that got him sent to the AHL, which forced one NHL analyst to label him as an 'embarrassment to the league'.
That reared its ugly head on Friday night against the Dallas Stars, as Rempe was caught in an ugly situation with Dallas' Miro Heiskanen, as Rempe hit him from behind in a scary fashion, using his elbow to the back of the star defenseman's head.
That resulted in the 23-year old being given a five-minute major and an ejection from the game for elbowing, but on social media the comments were divided between people believing this was a clean hit and others seeing it as at minimum, a clear boarding call.
While other players may be able to get away with something like this, that shouldn't be the case for Rempe, who continues to cross the line at the NHL level despite bringing very little to the team.
This may have been the final straw for Rempe in the NHL, at least with the New York Rangers, and while a suspension is guaranteed, it's safe to say that the league will consider it as they saw one of their top stars go down from a hit by a glorified goon.
POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 21 | 249 ANSWERS Possible Suspension Looming for Matt Rempe After Yet Another Ejection for a Dirty and Uncalled for Hit Should Matt Rempe be suspended for this hit on Miro Heiskanen? | ||
Yes | 199 | 79.9 % |
No | 50 | 20.1 % |
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