Matt Rempe spotted practicing fighting with infamous former NHL enforcer

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Graham Montgomery
July 10, 2024 (10:30 PM)

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New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe is working on his craft this summer, as he was recorded practicing fights with infamous former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque.

The video of the two players working together emerged online today. In it, we can see Laraque wearing a training glove while Rempe practices uppercuts. Laraque is certainly a good person to learn from, as he got into 131 career fights in the NHL, not to mention his time in other leagues before that.

Rempe training with @GeorgesLaraque, that's a scary sight 👀

That being said, many fans are not particularly excited about Rempe practicing throwing fists. After all, he showed last season already that he is a more than capable fighter. However, the rest of his game leaves a lot to be desired, which is why he was frequently a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Many fans have suggested that he work on the rest of his game instead.

He'd be better served spending time with a skating coach so he could spend more time on the ice and not end up scratched from playoff games.

After all, in today's NHL, it is hard to win games with a pure enforcer in the lineup. Everyone needs to contribute to the game itself. As the Rangers learned this season, winning the Stanley Cup doesn't get any easier when you have a player like Rempe in the lineup. Several fans have suggested that the team will not win a cup if Rempe is a regular in the lineup.

If all he can do is fight, then the Rangers won't win a cup. But the East is bulking up. I hate the way the league is right now.

Dirty Team wins the Cup
Salary Cap grows by only $1m
Teams find Loophole around Salary Cap
Numerous Rule changes/updates need to be madeetc. 👎🏽

Is Matt Rempe a fan-favorite player? At least among Rangers fans, that does appear to be the case. Does that mean he should play a prominent role in the team going forward? Not necessarily. Hopefully, he can continue to grow his game so that the coaching staff will trust him in important moments.