The Tragic Case Of Matt Rempe, Neither Hangman Nor Sweetheart

Alas, Poor Matt Rempe does not have an NHL "Get Out Of JailnFree" card.

Unless the Rangers rock star – really, what else can you call a pseudo-player? – takes his case to the Supreme Court,

Face it Folks, after his eight-game suspension, The Remper could be done as a Blueshirt. Finis! Kaput!!

They tell me that this Skating Giraffe is a nice guy. (Tell that to Miro Heiskanen who could have had his neck broken.)

And he really, really, really wants to be a hockey player. (Really? This guy has more suspensions than goals.)

His coach Peter Laviolette defended his skating bulldozer with this cheery homily. ("He's doing his best to hit bodies and make a difference in a game.")

Rempe almost did make a difference, with a stupid penalty that could have cost his team the game. (He got off the hook because of superior penalty-killing.))

What GM Chris Drury has to decide is whether Rempe is worth keeping for his hockey club. Do they need these migraines, these distractions from the main, new goal – just making the playoffs!

Rempe's biggest problem is that the guy doesn't know how to throw a bodycheck. Running foes from behind is not bodychecking. It's B.S. hockey because nobody has taught Matt differently.

Right now, Matt Rempe is a dangerous clown.

All his silly, little summer features – learning how to box; learning Hockey 101 from Chris Kreider – were applesauce.

The Maven has said it before and written it before; Rempe has the raw tools to be effective but until he learns to deliver a clean hip check or that hitting from behind ain't kosher, he'll remain a raw stiff.

That is, if the Rangers – who never bothered to teach him right – ever want him back in their lineup again.

Based on this latest mess, they may not!