Rangers' Matt Rempe Sends Honest Message on How He's Perceived

“I want to be done with ‘stage fighting,’” Rempe said. “If I’m being so effective that I have to fight because I’ve had eight real great hits in a game, or something like that, then I’ll do that.

“But me going to a game and just fight someone, that’s not helping me.”

The Rangers winger, who hasn't even played 60 regular-season games yet, showcased his progress in Sunday’s preseason opener, a 5–3 win over the New Jersey Devils.

Rempe’s burst through two defenders created the Rangers’ second goal, and Sullivan singled him out as a standout afterward.

“I thought Remps had a great game,” Sullivan said, per The New York Post's Mollie Walker. “He was really strong on pucks. He hangs onto pucks down low. He made good decisions when plays weren’t there off the rush. He would drive pucks low, and he would go to work down underneath the hashmarks. When he does that, I think he’s a handful for our opponents.”

Rempe, who stands 6-foot-9 and now weighs 265 pounds after adding 12 over the summer, earned time on the power play against the Devils in a hint at a larger role within the Rangers' bottom-six this season.

“He’s just so big and so strong, and he creates momentum for us,” Sullivan said.

Rempe is in the second season of a two-year, $1.95 million deal and appeared in a career-high 42 games last year, scoring eight points.