"Fully deserved": Analyst on Matt Rempe's four-game suspension for Rangers rookie's first-time offense

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Mar 13, 2024 14:04 GMT

During a recent segment of SportsCentre with Jay Onrait, TSN hockey analyst Craig Button mentioned that Matt Rempe's four-game suspension for a first-time offense is fully deserved.

The NHL Department of Player Safety issued Rempe on Tuesday with a four-game suspension for delivering a high-elbowed hit to New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head during the final seconds of the second period in Monday's game.

Rempe was given a five-minute major alongside a game misconduct and was subsequently kicked out of the game. This was the first suspension for Rempe in his brief 10-game stint with the New York Rangers.

Craig Button made a strong argument about Matt Rempe's suspension. Despite it being his first offense, Button reckoned that Rempe crossed the line with his actions and said that there's no question that the league got it right with the suspension:

"I don't think there's any question; they got it right, which is fully deserved. And I see a lot of similar parallels with respect to the suspension that was given to Charlie McAvoy for a similar flying elbow, and McAvoy was a first-time offender, so was Matt Rempe."

The analyst continued:

"There's nothing wrong with being a hard player or an aggressive player. But when you crossed the line, you're going to pay a price, and certainly, in the case of Matt Rempe, this is one that crossed the line. Quite frankly, I think this was an easy one for the Department of Player Safety."

Craig Button added:

"When you cross that line and you go over the edge, then you pay a price. That's the price that Rempe got with this four-game suspension - fully deserved."

Ten games into his NHL career and Rempe has already received a suspension, been ejected twice, and been involved in fights seven times.

Rangers coach had a conversation with Matt Rempe before the hit

Ahead of the New York Rangers' 1-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, Blue Shirts coach Peter Laviolette said that the coaching staff had a conversation with Matt Rempe before the hit.

Laviolette suggested that they are actively involved in guiding and teaching the rookie forward about his game, including his physicality on the ice (via NY Post):

"We talked to Matt before that hit. We talked to him about his game, on the ice, his physicality, what he brings to the team. It’s a young player and we look to always talk with him and teach him. It’s a learning process. He’ll serve the games and move on."

The Rangers, currently atop the Metro Division with 90 points, will miss the physical presence of the six-foot, 241-pound forward in their next three games against the Tampa Bay Lightning (Thursday), Pittsburgh Penguins (Saturday) and the New York Islanders on Sunday.