The New York Rangers will need someone else to handle their enforcer duties for the foreseeable future.
After his heavyweight bout with Ryan Reaves last week, Matt Rempe is set to be out “longer term” with an upper-body injury. Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan delivered the news to the New York Post’s Mollie Walker ahead of his team’s 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
Reaves got the best of Rempe during the fight, stunning and dropping him with multiple hard right hands. While Reaves served his five minutes for fighting in the penalty box, Rempe went down the tunnel at Madison Square Garden with members of the Rangers’ training staff.
“He’s a big boy, and you have to fight guys like that a little bit differently,” Reaves said postgame. “I’ve seen him fight, so I know what he’s good at, what his weaknesses are. It was a good tilt.”
Rempe, 23, only skated 19 seconds of ice time in the October 23 game and has been out of action since. In nine games this season, his first under Sullivan, Rempe is averaging 9:48 of ice time per game and has scored one goal.
Overall, the Rangers have struggled to pick up standings points early in Sullivan’s tenure, sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with their 4-5-2 record. Tuesday’s win over the Canucks snapped a three-game losing streak.
Reaves, playing his first season with the rebuilding San Jose Sharks, has played in nine of the team’s 10 games so far this season. The 38-year-old winger is averaging just 6:44 of ice time per game and has scored two goals.