On Saturday night, the Rangers were trailing by one point in the first period against the Maple Leafs when veteran bruiser Ryan Reaves started cheering for Matt Lempe.
It was a planned battle for media and hockey fans alike. So the promotion for this game could have looked like a pay-per-view showdown between two UFC fighters, with Reeves and Lempe staring at each other with exasperated looks.
When the first opportunity for a showdown arose, the 6-foot-8.5-inch Rangers forward opted out of the game for the first time since making his NHL debut just two weeks ago.
But Reeves’ second attempt, with the Rangers trailing by one point in the third period, went unanswered.
“We were leading 1-0. We had all the momentum we wanted. It was kind of the end of the shift and I didn’t think it needed to be there,” Lempe said Monday night when the Rangers were at the Garden. He spoke to the Post before playing against the Panthers. “Then I was able to pick my position better. We’re down, maybe we need something, we need some energy out there. Also, being openly challenged like that… We can say no when we are, but I am a competitor.
“it’s difficult [to say no], but it’s like, I’m learning and choosing my spots and stuff like that. But over there, that guy is like a legend. That guy has been one of the most feared guys in the league for 15 years. ”
The respect Lempe has for Reeves was clearly reciprocated by the 37-year-old bailiff.
Lempe praised the Rangers rookie’s performance in the game after he body-pounded Ilya Lyubushkin and knocked out the Toronto defenseman in the remaining minutes of Saturday’s game.
After Islanders heavyweight Matt Martin said Rempe’s reach is longer than that of the retired 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara, Reeves said the 21-year-old has the longest reach he’s ever had in his 14-year NHL career. He said he considers himself the longest and biggest player.
“He’s going to be a threat in this league,” Reeves told reporters.
Rempe focuses on learning when is the right time to fight in the middle of a match.
With the whirlwind of attention he’s garnered, some of the NHL’s most notable tough guys will be heading into the next game against the Rangers.
Between becoming a newfound celebrity, adjusting to the NHL, and navigating the terrain that every bruiser wants a chance to lick, Rempe is learning a lot on the fly.
The Rangers need to provide guidance, and head coach Peter Laviolette has reiterated multiple times that discussions have taken place with the Calgary native.
Rempe even asked for approval from the Rangers bench before dropping gloves with Reaves at center ice.
“I was just trying to see what was going on,” he said, declining to say whether he was looking at Laviolette or his teammates. “I’m just trying to see it. Because I knew before I said no and decided it wasn’t the time. Just in case, I thought, ‘Oh, I think this is the right time.’ is.”
The fans who gathered at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday finally got what they deserved.
Reaves showed some speed against Rempe, but he certainly had a reach advantage over the former Ranger.
The two exchanged heavy blows before being exhausted. Both benches tapped their sticks, the audience stood, and the Rempet tour continued.
He left with only one simple message for Rempe.
“He said, ‘Welcome to the league!'” In a really good way, Lempe said with a smile. “It was cool. It was a good fight.”
