Ryan Reaves has nothing but respect for Matt Rempe.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward spoke to reporters on Monday, discussing his most recent bout with the New York Rangers’ winger in the third period of Saturday’s game between the two teams.
“Nice old-school scrap there,” Reaves said. “He’s definitely the longest I’ve ever fought. He’s just really lanky.”
Reaves and Rempe fought for 50 seconds, which in hockey time is nearly an eternity. The 37-year-old Maple Leaf went into detail on his slow start of the scrap.
“At the beginning of the fight, I didn’t throw a lot because I had to make sure I was holding him where I wanted to, make sure I positioned him in the right spot,” Reaves said. “At first, he had me strung out a little. So I had to be a bit patient, get his grip off of that. Once I was comfortable, I started throwing punches.”
Rempe has made a name for himself since playing his first game on Feb. 18 against the New York Islanders in an outdoor game at Metlife Stadium. On his first shift, he fought veteran tough guy Matt Martin, landing a few shots and pumping up the 80,000 fans in attendance on his way to the penalty box.
“He’s a nice kid, he talked about how the media pumped it up so much (in the penalty box),” Reaves said. “Two Original Six teams going at it, everybody’s talking about a fight. It was cool to see because it shows fighting isn’t dead in the sport and people still kind of get amped up for it.”
Toronto’s next game is Monday at home against the Boston Bruins. Meanwhile, the Rangers host the Florida Panthers on Monday night, as well.
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