Rangers' Rempe suspended four games for elbowing Devils' Siegenthaler
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New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe has been suspended four games for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenceman Jonas Siegenthaler, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday.
Rempe was ejected in the second period of the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Devils on Monday. As Siegenthaler was playing the puck in the neutral zone, Rempe caught the Devils defenceman in the head with an elbow. The 21-year-old was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct on the play.
After Monday's game, Devils interim head coach Travis Green voiced his displeasure over the hit.
“Everyone who knows the game at all knows that that player is in a vulnerable spot and there's a player that’s looking to, call it predatorial or whatever you want to call it, it’s definitely not the first time that it’s happened, second time against us,” Green told the media postgame. “I think there's some intent there to injure the player.”
Rempe was given a match penalty for a high hit on Devils forward Nathan Bastian on Feb. 22.
Siegenthaler was helped from the ice and taken directly to the Devils’ dressing room, he did not return to the game.
“He’s not doing great, obviously. He didn’t come back," Green said about Siegenthaler. "You never like to see a player get hit like that, especially that’s happened twice now."
Devils forward Kurtis MacDermid received a 10 minute misconduct for trying to get at Rempe after the hit and said tonight's actions lowered his opinion of the Rangers rookie.
"He’s a young kid in this league. He has a lot to learn still," MacDermid said after the game. "You don't do things like that when you're in your first year in league. I lost quite a bit of respect for him tonight.”
Rempe waived goodbye to MacDermid as he exited the ice.
The Calgary native has appeared in 10 games this season for the Rangers and has a goal with an assist and 54 penalty minutes.