Two NHL heavyweights — Matt Rempe and Ryan Reaves — exchanged blows early in the first period of the Rangers’ home game against the Sharks on Thursday. Sarah Stier / Getty Images
NEW YORK — Rangers forward Matt Rempe suffered an upper-body injury Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, presumably after a fight with Ryan Reaves at Madison Square Garden. The two towering forwards exchanged blows early in the first period, and Rempe left the penalty box early to go to the dressing room. The team ruled him out of the game.
UPDATE: Matt Rempe (upper body) will not return tonight.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) October 24, 2025
Rempe and Reaves spoke briefly pregame, and Rempe challenged him to a fight after a Reaves hit on Juuso Pärssinen.
WE GOT A CENTER ICE TILT BETWEEN REMPE AND REAVES 🍿 pic.twitter.com/KMZQkZjF3j
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 23, 2025
Rempe’s scoring numbers (one point in nine games) don’t jump off the page, but he’s been an early bright spot for the Rangers. He’s primarily played on a line with Adam Edström and Sam Carrick, and Mike Sullivan has trusted that trio more and more as the season has gone on.
Jonny Brodzinski is a logical fill-in for Rempe if he misses time, though the team could make a call-up from AHL Hartford. Chris Drury usually likes to carry 13 healthy forwards, so he’d likely call up another forward ahead of the team’s four-game road trip, even if Brodzinski is going to come into the lineup.
Oct 24, 2025
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