Matt Rempe has come into the New York Rangers training camp as a new and improved player.
He’s still the same old Rempe. He remains physical, tough and charismatic, but through the first three days of camp, Rempe seems like a man on a mission.
The most notable change to Rempe’s game is his speed.
Believe it or not, Rempe is actually outskating some of his teammates. During conditioning drills, the enforcer has been leading the pack and turning heads.
Speed is a specific aspect of Rempe’s game that he needed to improve upon and he worked tirelessly to do just that during the offseason.
“My balance is way better on my skates,” Rempe said of his improvements. “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.”
A roster spot is not just going to be handed to Rempe and he’s proven every day since coming back why he should be on the Rangers’ opening night roster.
He worked not just on his speed over the course of this summer, but he kept his body in tip-top shape, something coach Peter Laviolette took notice of.
“He came in excellent shape,” Laviolette said. “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.”
The 21-year-old wants to be more than just a fighter and by the looks of things right now, he’s on pace to becoming what he’s set out for himself.
