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It was a busy offseason for New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe, a sudden celebrity of sorts around Manhattan, who captured the hearts of fans for his penchant for fighting and riling up the opponent.
But Georges Laraque did not like what he saw. “He was getting hit way too much in the face,” Laraque said.
Laraque would know. Over the course of more than 150 fights in the NHL, he lasted more than a decade as an enforcer because he knew how to reduce the number of blows to his head. He reached out to Rempe to give advice over the phone, then spent a few days with him on the ice over the summer to teach the 6-foot-8 forward some of the finer points about fighting.
That was just one piece of Rempe’s offseason education, which also included nearly daily power skating and working with Rangers veteran Chris Kreider on tipping pucks in front of the net. The 22-year-old Rempe goes into his first full season expecting to be better at hockey — with and without his gloves on.
“The fighting is a very small part, and I highly prioritized the skills and skating and everything,” Rempe said over the summer. “I’ve got to become a better player, so that’s what I’ve got to work on. I definitely enjoyed it, and I think I’ve taken big strides this summer with that.”
Rempe took some time out for the fans, too. His autograph line was one of the longest of all the NHL players at Fanatics Fest NYC in August, the inaugural three-day sports fan festival that featured presentations, merchandise sales and star appearances.
With 28 games of regular-season and playoff experience under his belt — and five bouts against some of the sport’s toughest heavyweights — Rempe’s goal is to prove he can be an everyday player. Laraque thinks Rempe could develop into a quality third-liner because he’s so young and willing to learn how to add to his physical attributes.
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“Without fighting, that guy could be a factor, and that’s what a lot of people don’t know,” Laraque told The Associated…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/41668424/new-york-rangers-eye-matt-rempe-more-complete-player
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Publish date : 2024-10-07 23:54:45
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