8 players ejected after Rangers, Devils have full line brawl at puck drop

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The Hudson River Rivalry is hot and heavy.

There has always been bad blood between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, but this year, it is boiling.

A 5-on-5 line brawl kicked off the beginning of Wednesday’s game, and eight players were ejected. The fights were expected, as Rangers rookie enforcer Matt Rempe and Devils’ Kurtis MacDermid were both in the starting lineup. The two fought one another in their last matchup.

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Kurtis MacDermid #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights with Matt Rempe #73 of the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden on April 03, 2024 in New York City.  (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Rempe has been known for his fights since his literal first second in the NHL. He made his debut at the Stadium Series in February, and his first shift began with a fight. In each of his first two games against the Devils, he was ejected due to blows to the head — the first one being just 10 seconds into his first shift of the rivalry and the second resulting in a suspension.

Gloves came off immediately as the puck dropped, with Barclay Goodrow taking the face off at center ice and then skating over to find his opponent.

Rempe didn’t even pretend to be ready for the face off, standing upright ready to go toe to toe with MacDermid.

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That heavyweight battle lived up to the hype — it was the longest of the five bouts, lasting well over a minute at center ice.

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K'Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers fights with John Marino #6 of