Matt Rempe, the New York Rangers rookie noted for his fights with veteran NHL tough guys, was ejected for the second time in his brief career Monday night.
The ejection occurred against the New Jersey Devils, the same opponent as when he was kicked out of a game earlier this season.
The first time was against Nathan Bastian, and this time, the recipient was Jonas Siegenthaler. Rempe, the 6-foot-7, 241-pound forward, received a five-minute major and game misconduct for elbowing the Devils defenseman in the head with 30 seconds left in the second period.
Siegenthaler didn’t play in the third period.
‘He’s not doing great, obviously,’ interim Devils coach Travis Green said. ‘He didn’t come back. You never want to see a player get hit like that.’
Rugged Kurtis MacDermid, recently acquired by New Jersey, tried to challenge Rempe, but on-ice officials kept them apart.
‘I wish I could have gotten to him quicker and taught him a lesson,’ said MacDermid, who received a 10-minute misconduct.
Rempe waved at Devils players before being led off the ice.
‘He’s a young kid in this league. He has a lot to learn still,’ MacDermid said. ‘You don’t do things like that in your first year in the league. I lost quite a bit of respect for him tonight.’
Rempe had been ejected after 13 seconds of ice time in his third NHL game for bloodying Bastian with a big hit. He avoided supplemental discipline then, but the NHL’s Department of Player Safety could look at the latest hit.
‘I think there’s some intent there to injure the player,’ Green said.
Rempe gained notice for his fights with Matt Martin, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Reaves in his first seven games.
Though 10 games, he has 54 penalty minutes and two points, including a game-winning goal.
Though he didn’t pick up a point, he played a role in the Rangers’ second goal of their 3-1 victory, winning a faceoff and screening Devils goalie Kaapo Kahkonen on Erik Gustafsson’s score.
‘I hope Siegenthaler’s OK and I thought Rempe had a strong game up until that point,’ Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said.
