Matt Rempe’s return to the New York Rangers’ lineup after a broken thumb was a relief for a player who had missed 24 games. The 22-year-old enforcer, known for his size and willingness to drop the gloves, had been sidelined since Oct. 23, the day he fractured his left thumb while fighting Ryan Reaves.
A Painful Return
During the bout, Rempe admitted, “I just kept going bang, bang, bang, and I guess I was just kind of breaking it and breaking it.” He added, “But when you’re in a fight, you don’t feel anything, so you had no idea.” After the fight, when he and Reaves exchanged “Good fight” in the penalty boxes, Rempe noticed something was wrong. He said, “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this thing’s not right,'” recalling the moment he realized the injury.
Back on the Ice
Rempe re-joined the Rangers on Monday night, ending a 24-game absence that had left the team without its imposing 6-foot-9 winger. Coach Mike Sullivan welcomed him back, saying, “When he’s in the lineup, he makes an impact.” He elaborated that Rempe “creates anxiety for our opponents. That’s an area where I think he can help us. He gets in on the forecheck, he leans on people, he goes to the net front, he makes it hard on people. He makes an impact on the game with the way he plays.”
A Broken Thumb and a Quick Recovery
The injury occurred the day before Rempe was scheduled to fly to his hometown of Calgary, a disappointment for the fan-favorite. He noted that he has fought in over a dozen NHL bouts and nearly 50 fights in his life without injury. “That was bound to happen eventually, and it’s a part of the game,” he said. “Just a couple months. The season’s long. It happens.”
Rempe acknowledged he is on the no-fight list for now. “Not at all,” he said, “I can’t for a little while because I can’t really bend it correctly yet. A couple more weeks and it’ll be golden, but I can’t for a little bit, which sucks, but it’s all right because you just go play hockey and stuff.”
Team Dynamics and Training
Anaheim’s Ross Johnston had asked Rempe to fight in his return, but the circumstances made that impossible. Rempe explained, “He doesn’t know what’s up with the thumb and stuff, and he’s doing his job,” adding, “I was like, ‘Hey I can’t go,’ and he understands that and he’s probably been there before.”
The comeback was quick: Rempe spent weeks power-skating without a stick, progressed to light stickhandling and passing, and eventually returned to full practices. Sullivan wanted more battle drills but lamented the lack of opportunities to simulate game-like activity. He praised Rempe’s conditioning, saying, “His conditioning is great. He’s worked extremely hard to get himself in the position where his fitness level is really high.”
Gratitude and Future Outlook
Rempe expressed deep gratitude to the staff and doctors who assisted his surgery. “I can’t thank all the trainers and the team staff and everyone and all the docs who worked on the surgery enough because they did a great job and got me back quicker than I thought originally, so it was really good,” he said. He added that it was “a lot of fun being back after a long time.”
The Rangers’ roster now includes a player who, despite a broken thumb, remains ready to impact games with his presence and size.
Key Takeaways
- Matt Rempe returned after a broken thumb, ending a 24-game absence.
- Coach Mike Sullivan praised his impact on forechecks and net play.
- Rempe’s recovery was swift, thanks to team medical staff and training.
Rempe’s return underscores the resilience of NHL enforcers and the importance of a solid medical and training support system.
