Matthew Rempe (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Matthew is new to new to the Neutral Zone NHL’s watch list, but he is a player we will be doing more research on. He is a 6’8″ center who keeps getting better and looking more and more comfortable. Last year playing in the Alberta Junior Hockey League Matthew had 4 goals and 12 points in 43 games. Through 47 games played this year in the Western Hockey League Matthew has 12 goals and 31 points*. While obviously he is not breaking records, he is showing considerable improvements and looking like a big teenager who is turning into a young man who is getting stronger and more coordinated. We fully understand that undersized forwards are getting extended looks and we understand why, but if you were an NHL director of scouting wouldn’t you want more information on a 6’8″ forward who plays in every situation for the Seattle Thunderbirds and is showing improvements? He starts games against their rivals at home and on the road. He kills penalties and is the net front presence on the power play. He is developing and doing so in every type of game situation imaginable. He is showing good awareness in the defensive zone and he is showing leadership by directing traffic and communicating switches. Matthew takes smart angles in the neutral zone when trying to cut the ice in half and appears to understand that giving up the lines only allows opponents to have more options. He finishes his checks on the forecheck without taking himself out of position and is a very reliable F2 or F3. Although we feel he will not be counted on to produce offense in the National League, we do think Matthew’s puck skills will continue to improve so that he could potentially develop into a bottom 6 asset who kills penalties and is a face-off machine. This where NHL scouting departments must decide between a 5’7″ winger who dominated bantam hockey and could potentially do it again at some point or a 6’8″ center who is growing out of his awkward stage and putting up the same amount of points as the bantam superstar in the competitive Western Hockey League. In our opinion, Matthew is certainly worth getting to now much better. And imagine if you moved him to D and worked with him….
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
*Matthew’s season stats were updated on 3/13/2020