The New York Rangers had the NHL’s best record during the regular season and boasted a lineup full of stars. Forward Artemi Panarin is an MVP candidate. Defenseman Adam Fox is one of the best in the league at his position. Igor Shesterkin is at worst a top-two goalie. They also have a recent No. 1 overall pick in Alexis Lafreniere who had a breakout year.
An argument can be made that none of those players are the current fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.
That honor likely belongs to rookie fourth-line forward Matt Rempe who has become something of a cult hero on Broadway due to his massive size, thunderous hits and willingness to fight all of the NHL’s heavyweights.
He added to his list of fan-favorite plays on Sunday afternoon by scoring the Rangers’ first goal of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference series against the Washington Capitals.