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NHL fans witnessed yet another fight as the New York Rangers' Matt Rempe traded blows with the Philadelphia Flyers' Nic Deslauriers in a bout that unfolded just three minutes into Saturday night's game that aired on ESPN. The tension had been building up, with the two players exchanging heated words during warmups.
Once the gloves dropped, both men unleashed a flurry of punches, with neither gaining an advantage, but both landing blow after blow and making solid contact with each other. Matt Rempe, towering over Deslauriers, managed to gain the upper hand with a series of powerful blows, but Deslauriers refused to back down, absorbing the hits and delivering his own punishing shots immediately.
As helmets flew off and fists continued to fly, commentators marveled at the intensity of the showdown, with Ray Ferraro noting the rarity of such spectacles in modern NHL. Excitement peaked when Deslauriers tackled a fatigued Rempe to the delight of the roaring crowd at the Wells Fargo Arena.
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Clocking in at a minute, the fight became one of the longest of the season, leaving broadcasters like Bob Wischusen reflecting on its rarity. Fans on the internet echoed the sentiment. Most NHL fans posted that it was the best hockey fight that they had seen in years, and in the modern age of limiting fighting in the NHL, it's hard to disagree.
NHL fans divided as Matt Rempe is set to get away for a hit on Nate Bastian last Thursday
On Thursday night, the Rangers' Matt Rempe physically dominated on the ice in a commanding 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. The highlight of the game, or perhaps the lowlight, occurred early in Rempe's first shift.
He delivered a forceful hit along the boards to Nathan Bastian, resulting in a broken stick for the New Jersey forward. The hit sent Bastian straight to the Devils' locker room.
Bastian's head took the brunt of the impact, which immediately drew the ire of Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. He wasted no time challenging Rempe, leading to a quick altercation between the two players.
Despite the brevity of the scuffle, the 6-foot-8½ Rempe took down Siegenthaler with just two punches, showcasing his physicality.
Rempe's night was over as he earned both a roughing penalty and a match penalty for the hit on Bastian. The match penalty signaled an early exit for Matt Rempe from the game. This left the Rangers without their forward for the remainder of the contest. Fans had mixed opinions about Rempe's punishment.
