On a beautiful Sunday in the Big Apple, the New York Rangers were back to work at team practice this morning.

There were some mini scrimmages on the ice. You had some healthy battles between players. That included Matt Rempe. The 22-year-old forward is looking to earn a starting job in training camp. After impressing coaches and teammates with his energy and enthusiasm last spring, Rempe still must prove himself. He wants to become a regular. Not just a highwire act.

Improved Skating Impresses Laviolette

During the off-season, Rempe worked hard on improving his skating. It was something he highlighted during his exit interview after the Rangers’ postseason elimination last June. He knew that a spot wouldn’t be given to him.

“My balance is way better on my skates.” Rempe told Remy Mastey in a piece that appeared in The Hockey News on Saturday, Sep. 21. ” I think my stride is a lot better. I’m carrying speed better. All my edgework, agility, all those types of stuff. We did a lot of single edgework and a lot of skating stuff, balance. My hands, I worked a lot on my stick handling to be able to protect pucks down low, make plays. I want to showcase that.”

In Matt Rempe’s Increased Speed Noticeable To Start Training Camp,” The Hockey News, Sep. 21, 2024.

It was during Sunday’s practice that Rempe stood out. He won some puck battles by utilizing his improved skating. That included getting the better of Adam Fox in front of the net. During a sequence, he stood in front of Igor Shesterkin. When play was over, Fox and Shesterkin each gave Rempe a slash. That earned him a penalty shot. He showed off a nice move which was stopped by Shesterkin.

So far, so good. Rangers coach Peter Laviolette likes what he sees.

“He came in excellent shape,” Laviolette told reporters. “He trained hard this summer. He trained hard on the ice, he trained hard off the ice. He tried to work on all aspects of his game to come back and give himself the best chance. There’s no question he is in very good shape.”

“I want to prove to be an every day player. That’s my goal,” Rempe said when asked what his specific goals are for the season. “I want to be a very effective bottom six player who’s gonna play every night. Be the most physical player on the ice and be great defensively. Chip in a few goals. And be a really hard line to play against and also bring the element of grit.”

If Rempe can bring all of that to the table, then he should become a more trusted player under Laviolette. At times, he didn’t use him during the postseason. That was mostly by design. However, it also was due to Rempe not being the best skater. That’s why he’s come in with something to prove.

Preseason Begins

At 5 PM, the Rangers will visit the Bruins in their first preseason game. On a busy football weekend, some players will be looking to turn some heads.

The camp roster has already been cut down to 48. Nobody of significance was sent down. There’ll be about a week for a few players to make an impression. Then, things will get interesting. Of note, Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann are looking to give the Blueshirts a reason to keep them around.

The first exhibition match can be seen on MSG Network.