Rangers' Matt Rempe gets 4-game suspension for elbow to head - ESPN

New York Rangers rookie forward Matt Rempe was suspended four games by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday after elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head on Monday night.

It's the first suspension of Rempe's 10-game NHL career. Rempe will forfeit $17,083.32, with the money going to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He can appeal the suspension to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who would have the final say on that appeal.

Rempe was given a game misconduct with 30 seconds remaining in the second period of the Rangers' 3-1 win over the Devils.

Siegenthaler held up near the red line after shooting the puck into the attacking zone. Rempe skated toward him and stretched his left arm to connect with Siegenthaler's head. The on-ice officials conferred, reviewed the play and confirmed that Rempe had earned a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct.

Siegenthaler did not return for the third period, and Devils coach Travis Green said «he's not doing great» when asked about his status.

After the game, the Devils called for Rempe to be suspended, with Green saying the Rangers forward had «some intent there to injure» on his hit.

«He's a huge guy, and he's throwing his elbows around like that,» said Devils forward Kurtis MacDermid of the 6-foot-7 Rempe. «You've got to learn how to hit properly and not injure players.»

In its ruling, the NHL Department of Player Safety believed Rempe raised his arm up into Siegenthaler's head after realizing he had mistimed his check.

The counterargument from Rempe, the Rangers and the NHLPA was that the contact was unavoidable because Siegenthaler stopped short and that Rempe may have just been bracing himself for impact against the boards.

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