In Photos: Rangers' Matt Rempe dons cowboy hat for Calgary Stampede with twin sisters Alley and Steph

Modified Jul 14, 2024 11:30 GMT

New York Rangers center Matt Rempe is spending quality time with his family in the offseason. Rempe recently attended the Calgary Stampede, looking every bit the cowboy in his hat and boots.

The Calgary Stampede is a massive festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta. Known as ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,’ it attracts over a million visitors each year. The event is famous for its rodeo competitions, concerts, parades, and various other activities that celebrate Western heritage and culture.

Rempe attended the event with his twin sisters, Alley and Steph. Alley Rempe shared a series of pictures on her Instagram story from the Stampede, where the Rangers forward is seen wearing a cowboy hat and a black denim jacket.

Rempe’s former teammate, Tyrel Bauer, who is originally from Calgary, was also there with the group. During Rempe’s time in the WHL, Bauer served as captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The 10-day event is famous for its rodeo, where cowboys and cowgirls compete in events like bull riding, barrel racing, and steer wrestling. It started in 1912 and has grown into one of the world's largest and most renowned rodeos.

Matt Rempe got into ice-hockey because of his sisters

Matt Rempe was originally inspired to play ice-hockey by his sisters when they were children. The Rempe sisters started playing hockey at age seven. Their younger brother, Matt, who was four years younger, quickly followed suit.

“Whatever they did, I wanted to do,” Matt Tempe said in an interview to The Athletic.

Both his sisters went on to play collegiate hockey at Brown University. Rempe fondly remembered getting along well with Alley but often clashing with Steph as he liked to compete with her growing up.

Their father, Ron Rempe, was a civil engineer who had a special liking for musical instruments. Matt and his sisters all learnt to play different instruments from their father and the Rangers forward even mentioned that he still plays the guitar.

However, when Matt was only 15, his father passed away. He was playing for the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C., at the time when his mom broke the news that his father had suffered a heart attack. It was a ‘shattering’ moment for 15-year-old Matt, who, along with his mom, immediately flew back to Calgary to cope with their loss.

To date, Matt Rempe and his family have remained very close to each other. His sisters are often in attendance during their younger brother’s games and cheer for him from the rinkside.