Rangers forward Matt Rempe suspended for eight games for elbow on Heiskanen

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe was suspended for eight games by NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Sunday for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Friday night.

Rempe had an in-person hearing via Zoom on Sunday, as opposed to a phone call, which allowed senior vice president of player safety George Parros and his department to suspend Rempe for six or more games.

The announcement was made shortly after the Rangers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 at home. It was New York’s 12th loss in its last 16 games and fourth in a row at Madison Square Garden.

Rempe, a 6-foot-8 forward, became popular last season in his rookie year with the Rangers for fighting some of the NHL’s toughest players. But he was ejected twice and also received a four-game suspension for an elbow to the head of New Jersey’s Jonas Siegenthaler in a home game on March 11.