In Photos: Rangers' Matt Rempe snapped with AHL star Tyrel Bauer and sister Stephanie Rempe

Modified Jun 15, 2024 16:10 GMT

New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe shared pictures on Instagram with AHL star Tyrel Bauer and his sister Stephanie Rempe.

One photo shows Rempe posing with Bauer, his long-time friend and former teammate. The two played junior hockey together before Bauer made a career in the AHL.

Another snap shows Rempe alongside Bauer and Rempe's sister, Stephanie.

Rempe, Bauer and Rempe's sister Stephanie

Rempe has made quite the impression in his first season with the Rangers. He got into four fights in his first seven NHL games, each coming against players with reputations as some of the league's top brawlers.

This made Rempe an instant fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. The crowd buzzed there every time the forward hit the ice looking for his next fight.

There were some growing pains for the young Rempe. He was suspended for four games in March for elbowing and concussing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. Rempe's penchant for taking penalties and overall rawness has limited his ice time to an average of 5:38 per game.

Matt Rempe's offseason plans

After the New York Rangers Round 2 loss to the Florida Panthers, Matt Rempe plans to go to Calgary for the offseason to improve his game.

"Calgary is a big hockey town. I know it's going to be pretty nuts. My buddies are excited. Maybe get some free beer," Matt Rempe said during the season-ending media day.

Rempe plans to work on every aspect of his game over the summer.

"I have a big plan," he said of the estimated 37-hour, 2,400 mile drive from New York back home. "I'm going to work on every single part of my game."

After spending much of this past season dropping the gloves, Rempe and the Rangers want him to adapt more to the NHL game.

"I learned a lot of things this year and experienced a lot of different things. I think I improved a lot and I know what I need to do to take the next step," Rempe said.

He knows he still has a long way to go to earn more trust from coach Peter Laviolette and become a regular in the bottom six. That's fueling his ambitious summer training regimen.

"I want to bring more to the table. I want to be a guy that can play eight-to-12 minutes every single night in a role. I want to be really good defensively. I want to eventually be a penalty killer, but I’ve just got to earn all these things," Matt Rempe added.

Rempe hopes to take big strides toward becoming an impact player for the Rangers next season.