All 10 skaters brawl off opening faceoff at start of Devils-Rangers game

By: Allan Kreda, The Associated Press
Posted: 7:11 PM CDT Wednesday, Apr. 3, 2024

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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils started Wednesday night’s game with a brawl involving all 10 players on the ice off the opening faceoff.

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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils started Wednesday night’s game with a brawl involving all 10 players on the ice off the opening faceoff.

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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils started Wednesday night’s game with a brawl involving all 10 players on the ice off the opening faceoff.

The main event was Rangers forward Matt Rempe taking on New Jersey’s Kurtis MacDermid, with the two having history from the previous time the Devils visited Madison Square Garden on March 11. That night, Kempe refused MacDermid’s offer to fight early in the game. Later in the contest, Rempe knocked Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler out of the game with a high elbow and was subsequently suspended for four games.

Rempe and MacDermid fought the longest on Wednesday as their tussle continued at center ice after the other four fights had ended. Four players from each team received game misconducts 2 seconds into the game.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Kurtis MacDermid (23) fights New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Along with Rempe, New York defensemen Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller and forward Barclay Goodrow were ejected from the game. New Jersey defensemen Kevin Bahl and John Marino, and forwards Chris Tierney and MacDermid also received early exits.

Miller fought Marino, Trouba battled Tierney, Goodrow went against Bahl and Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey fought New Jersey’s Curtis Lazar. Vesey and Lazar remained in the game since they fought first and didn’t receive additional punishment.

All 10 players also received five-minute fighting penalties.

New York’s Will Cuylle also fought New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer at the 4:27 mark of the first period after Cuylle hit the Devils’ Brendan Smith into the boards.

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