Rangers’ Matt Rempe admits he’s a ‘marked man’ after return from latest suspension

Matt Rempe appears to have taken his most recent suspension to heart.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday following his eight-game ban for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, the New York Rangers center acknowledged he needs to play a smarter game, or else he could face an even bigger sentence the next time he faces supplemental discipline.

“I’ve got to still play my game, but it can’t happen again or it is going to be a huge suspension. I’ve got to be a lot smarter. I don’t have to make every hit, if that makes sense,” Rempe told reporters, including Peter Baugh of The Athletic. “I’m so big. I can get going. I’ve got to be able to pick my hits. I’ve got to make sure it is going to be a good hit because I can make a big impact with that. If I am going to make every hit, some of them are risky … I am so big that if I catch a piece or something like that, I am gone 20 games. I can’t let anything like that happen.

“If it’s any way in doubt I feel like I err on the side of caution right now. I’m a marked man. I’ve got to keep it clean.”

Debuting with the Rangers in 2023-24, the 6-foot-9 forward has seen 22 career contests across two seasons, with his playing time shortened due to his eight-game suspension this season plus a four-game banishment a year ago as a result of his hit on New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. Alongside his two suspensions, Rempe has also been ejected from four of his 22 NHL appearances.

Rempe is eligible to return to the Rangers’ lineup Thursday versus the Devils.

A sixth-round selection by New York in the 2020 NHL Draft, Rempe has recorded two points at the NHL level plus 17 goals and 10 assists through 114 games and part of three seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ top minor-league affiliate.

Per PuckPedia, Rempe carries an $820,000 annual average value and can become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.