Rangers rookie Matt Rempe suspended 4 games for elbowing Devils player in head

Rugged New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe has four fights, 54 penalty minutes and two ejections in his first 10 NHL games.

Now he has his first NHL suspension.

The Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday that it was suspending the 6-foot-7, 241-pound forward four games for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head during Monday night's game.

He will forfeit $17,083.32 in pay.

Rempe received a major penalty and game misconduct with 30 seconds left in the second period, and Siegenthaler didn't play in the third period.

"He's not doing great, obviously," interim Devils coach Travis Green said. "He didn't come back. You never want to see a player get hit like that."

Siegenthaler has a concussion, Devils reporter Amanda Stein posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. Green said the defenseman would be out for an "extended period of time."

It was the second time Rempe, 21, had knocked a Devils player out of a game. He was ejected after 13 seconds of ice time during his third NHL game for bloodying Nathan Bastian with a big hit.

Veteran enforcer Kurtis MacDermid, recently acquired by the Devils, tried to challenge Rempe in Monday's game over that Feb. 22 hit. After the hit on Siegenthaler, MacDermid tried to challenge him again, but on-ice officials kept them apart.

"I wish I could have gotten to him quicker and taught him a lesson," said MacDermid, who received a 10-minute misconduct.

Rempe further upset Devils players by waving at them before being led off the ice.

"He's a young kid in this league. He has a lot to learn still," MacDermid said. "You don't do things like that in your first year in the league. I lost quite a bit of respect for him tonight."

Rempe gained notice for his fights with Matt Martin, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Reaves in his first seven games. Reaves said Rempe "is going to be a menace in this league."

Rempe also has two points, including a game-winning goal. Though he didn't pick up a point, he played a role in the Rangers' second goal of their 3-1 victory, winning a faceoff and screening Devils goalie Kaapo Kahkonen on Erik Gustafsson's score.

"I hope Siegenthaler's OK and I thought Rempe had a strong game up until that point," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rangers' Matt Rempe suspended for elbowing Devils' Jonas Siegenthaler