Matt Rempe has weighed in on the Devils vs Rangers brawl on Wednesday night.
The New York Rangers rookie enforcer shared his thoughts on the wild fights that kicked off Wednesday night’s NHL game at Madison Square Garden. Eight players were ejected two seconds into the Rangers vs Devils game as a full line brawl broke out off the faceoff.
Rempe posted on Instagram Thursday morning, sharing multiple pictures of the brawl at MSG.
The first photo showcases his bloody knuckles after his scrap with Kurtis MacDermid, followed by four other photos of the shenanigans.
Rempe captioned the Instagram post, “Madness at the Garden”
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Rempe also gave reporters a hilarious quote that demonstrated his lack of knowledge about NHL rules. He didn’t know he would be ejected for the fight.
I thought I was going to have a good 5 minutes in (the penalty box) with the fellas. We were going to be cuddled up in there, getting cozy and having a good time… I had no idea that was a rule. I was like, ‘Dang it. My TOI didn’t go up that game.
Whether you agree with the NHL rulebook or not, NHL rules state that any player involved in a brawl automatically receives a major penalty and a game misconduct.
When it comes to the actual fight, Rempe also chimed in on what led to the brawl at MSG. Rempe stated there was no conversation with MacDermind in warm-ups because it was understood the fight would happen.
Rempe knew he would have to answer for his elbow on Joonas Segenthaler in the previous meeting, which resulted in a four-game suspension.
“MacDermid was like, ‘We’re going right now.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know. I think there’s a reason why we’re starting.’”
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette and Devils coach Travis Green put these two fighters in the opening lineup to settle the score right off the bat. That way, the teams could focus on hockey the rest of the way through.
Whether you love Matt Rempe or hate him, he’s the type of player that the NHL needs. The Rangers vs. Devils brawl has been the talk of the sporting world, with many non-hockey fans suddenly taking an interest in what’s transpiring on the ice.
In no other sport would a 6’7″ rookie enforcer be one of the top stories of the season.
