Just like the New York Rangers, Matt Rempe will enter the 2026-27 NHL season with a lot to prove. So, even though it’s still summer and ice at Central Park is nowhere to be found, the enforcer has already sent his teammates a clear message—or rather, an order.
“I think we have got to come back with vengeance,” Rempe said about the Rangers’ upcoming season, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post, at the Shoulder Check Showcase annual event.
Coming from Rempe, those words should send chills down the spine of every player in the NHL. Not many will want to be on the ice when Rempe takes his first shift of the season on Sept. 29 against the Boston Bruins. That is, of course, if he makes the active roster for opening night—and that’s still a big if.
Rempe’s spot is on the line
Rempe will have to prove his worth when the Blueshirts take the ice for training camp. Although he is impossible to miss thanks to his 6-foot-9 frame, Rempe was noticeably absent for much of last NHL season. The forward admitted he still has work to do before he is fully recovered from his left thumb injury, but has made significant progress and is no longer dealing with pain.
Matt Rempe in action for the NY Rangers.
As a result of the injury and the subsequent surgeries, Rempe appeared in only 26 games last season. Even when he was available, however, he wasn’t at his best, so there’s reason to believe Mike Sullivan may have scratched him or even sent him down to the AHL for stretches of the season anyway. It’s impossible to say for certain, though.
Regardless, it’s clear Rempe must turn the tide heading into the 2026-27 season. If he can’t provide the team with more than fights, big hits that often lead to costly penalties, and his high-energy—yet risky—style of play, then he may not have a permanent spot in the lineup, and New York could be better off without him.
Rangers face big decision, even bigger season
That’s for Sullivan and his staff to evaluate, but Rempe must enter training camp and the preseason like rent is due—because, in a way, it is. This is the final season of his current contract in the Big Apple. Next summer, Rempe will become a restricted free agent, and uncertainty looms over his future.
Vengeance, redemption, a breakout season—you name it. That’s what’s at stake for Rempe. And for the Rangers as well. Last season reached historic lows at Madison Square Garden, and the Blueshirts won’t be allowed to put yet another lackluster act in Broadway.
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