Sheldon Keefe addresses injury and fight concerns following Matt Rempe-Ryan Reaves clash

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Mar 03, 2024 15:07 GMT

During the third period of the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers, Ryan Reaves and Matt Rempe dropped the gloves at the 5:59 mark. The Maple Leafs were leading 3-2 over the Rangers at the time. The consequence of their physical altercation led to both players receiving five-minute penalties for fighting.

The intense fight between the two players caught the attention of fans and hockey enthusiasts, prompting B/R Open Ice to share a video post on X (formerly Twitter).

After the game, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe addressed the injury and fight concerns arising from the Rempe-Reaves clash in the postgame press conference. Keefe expressed his satisfaction with the physicality displayed, particularly in light of some of his players being knocked out of the game.

"I thought it was good, especially considering, you know, that I knocked some of our guys out of the game," Keefe remarked in his post-game presser.

Keefe continued:

"We're starting to get up with injuring players, we're starting to get as up as many as the fights now, but yeah, I liked the Reaves, stepped up."

Tavares and Domi’s remarks on Ryan Reaves vs rookie Matt Rempe clash

As the game progressed, tensions rose with each heavy hit, particularly as Reaves targeted Matt Rempe. Finally, in the third period, the long-awaited fight erupted, satisfying fans' desire for a heavyweight battle.

Captain John Tavares praised the electric atmosphere created by the fans.

"Our fans were fantastic tonight. Everyone was itching for it. So, credit to both those guys," John Tavares said

"You know, I don't know how anyone would ever want to drop 'em with Reavo. So, great job by him. I think it was exciting for everyone. And a little throwback there with how that went down."

Max Domi also praised Matt Rempe's toughness and Reaves' reputation as the toughest player in the league:

"Unbelievable. You see the crowd was extra amped up tonight for a huge event like that. Both of them, they left it all out there. Respect to that kid. He's a tough dude.

"And Reavo's the toughest dude in the league. So, for him to hang in there like that, all the credit to him. But Ryan, it was great to see and I'm super happy for him. He was a huge part of that win tonight."

The altercation stemmed from Matt Rempe's earlier hit on Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, and later the Leafs won the game 4-3.