We know Matt Rempe. The fearless, tough man. He knows who he is, and he’s made no pretensions ever since his rambunctious NHL debut, where he tussled with Matt Martin of the New York Islanders barely a minute into his first shift on the ice. And the rest, as they say, was history. Rempe hits hard and takes no prisoners; that’s what he’s now known for. But what happens when that reputation starts to work against him in new ways?
But first of all, is it any surprise that Rempe’s past transgressions don’t do him any favors? Penalties, suspensions, fines; if there’s a disciplinary action in the NHL, you can bet it’ll have Matt Rempe’s name stamped onto it. As for penalties? He’s probably committed most, if not all, in a variety of ways. He’s your classic 70s-style enforcer after all; it’s his job to get into fights and do the dirty work. But there are consequences to being this kind of player.
So, what’s up with Matt Rempe now? Well, he’s facing the consequences of his actions. Except… that’s not quite right. He seems to be facing the consequences of his reputation. It all began during the match with the Minnesota Wild, where a clip of Rempe caught up in yet another entanglement went viral. In the video, the Wild’s Devin Shore skated into Matt Rempe while he was looking the other way, but you know what happened? It was Rempe who was penalized for it!
Most ridiculous penalty I have ever seen, Matt Rempe gets called for being on the ice.
Devin Shore skates into Rempe and Rempe gets called for Interference. pic.twitter.com/Iuc58gENXH
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) March 14, 2025
The violation certainly doesn’t pass the eye test, but what’s clear is that Rempe’s enforcer reputation doesn’t really lend itself to the benefit of the doubt. And before the Shore incident, Rempe was penalized yet again for a violation of goalie interference that he didn’t commit against the Winnipeg Jets.
So, back-to-back penalties, neither of which he committed. Looks like he just got penalized for being Rempe; that’s it. That’s now two referee misjudgments in a row, and fans are absolutely not happy about it.
Fans vent on social media about the Matt Rempe situation
“Good god this is bad. Rempe simply can’t be on the ice anymore if this is being called against him. What a fucking joke.” A fan wrote, reacting to the moment. Well, yes, if Rempe gets penalized for just being Rempe (as he has been), there’s no real solution for that problem. Unless, of course, the team decides that Matt Rempe’s style of play is untenable.
Another fan picked up on Shore’s usual grit and quality of his movement and play. They wrote, “A player as gritty as Shore isn’t going down on incidental contact. This is intent to injure.” As we all know, Devin Shore typifies intense play and has a strong physical presence.
Another fan refuted that point and claimed that Rempe intended to elbow the Wild player, “He literally puts his right arm out to hit Shore. What the hell are y’all watching?” Well, there’s always two sides to every story, but in this case, unless you’re Devin Shore or Matt Rempe, it’s hard to know for sure what exactly happened.
A fan added, “Haven’t seen a guy persecuted by the refs like this since Darryl Dawkins played for the Nets.” Back in 1979, Darryl Dawkins broke two backboards in a single season with his dunks. The NBA introduced breakaway rims partially due to him. This led to the perception that the league was “out to get him” by calling more fouls and enforcing stricter rules. It’s understandable for a New York sports fan to draw the comparison.
Coming back to Matt Rempe, fans think it’s evident that he’s being targeted. A comment read, “Every f*****g game. The fix is in. The refs have all gotten together and decided they won’t let this young man play hockey. He’s actually a very good player.” Matt Rempe isn’t just an agitator here. While he might have an aggressive style of playing, it shouldn’t be a clear-cut call that he is singled out every time. It’s evident his reputation works against him, but that raises another question: Is there space for players like him in the modern NHL? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The post “This Is Bad”: Matt Rempe Urges Hockey Fans to Raise Voices appeared first on EssentiallySports.
