Kurtis MacDermid shows tremendous respect for Matt Rempe after fight

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Tom Banks
April 4, 2024 (9:35 PM)

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Matt Rempe and Kurtis MacDermid dropped the gloves during a chaotic MSG brawl, and now it appears the rookie has won the veteran's respect.

New York Rangers standout rookie Matt Rempe was ejected for the third time in three games against the New Jersey Devils, and it came after dropping the gloves with hard-hitting enforcer Kurtis MacDermid immediately after puck drop. MacDermid has recently had bad things to say about Rempe, but after the rookie took up the challenge on Wednesday night, the 21-year old has seemingly won the respect of the very tough veteran.

"I'm always going to have a lot of respect for him. He's a young kid just trying to do his thing to stay in the league and I understand that."

Rempe's earned MacDermid's respect after tonight's fiesta 🤝

This doesn't mean that the next time these teams meet there will be any less fire and aggression between them, but winning respect in the NHL is huge, and now Rempe has won over the veteran MacDermid.

In his short 14 game career, Rempe has now dropped the gloves with Matt Martin, Nic Deslauriers, Ryan Reaves and Kurtis MacDermid, and for a player looking to make his name as an enforcer in the NHL, that's a tough gauntlet to run. While opposing fans will hate seeing the 6-foot-7 rookie throwing his body around and taking out their team, it appears as though opponents all have tremendous respect for the way that he's made his name, and if he can make a positive impact in the playoffs, the NHL may have a new enforcer for the next generation.

Source: Blade of Steel

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