The bruises under Matt Rempe’s eye still were fresh from a fight last weekend, but that didn’t deter him from fighting again on Saturday.
The New York Rangers rookie threw down with Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves during Toronto’s 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Reaves had been trying to goad Rempe into a fight early in the game, but Rempe did not engage. Then Rempe checked Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin into the boards in the second period, causing Lyubushkin to suffer a head injury.
A period later, Reaves finally got his wish and the chance to fight Rempe. The two dropped gloves at center ice and traded some big blows before agreeing to end the fight:
REMPE AND REAVES DROP THE GLOVES AT CENTER ICE 😱 pic.twitter.com/4raCSRGwnI
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 3, 2024
This fight came just over a week after Rempe and Nicolas Deslauriers fought in the NHL fight of the year.
Rempe has captivated fans for both his style and willingness to fight. It’s been years since we’ve seen a player so willingly engaging in fights — the kinds you used to see where guys would just throw repeated blows back-and-forth.
This was Rempe’s fourth fight in just seven games. Does it even matter that he may have lost this one?
