Matt Rempe Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Rangers rookie makes NHL outdoor game history

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 2/18/24

No player in NHL history has ever made a debut quite like the one New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe made on Sunday. His debut came in the Rangers' Stadium Series game against the New York Islanders, making him the first player to ever make his debut during one of the league's outdoor games.

⚠️ Cool Hockey Story Alert ⚠️

Matt Rempe of the @NYRangers makes his NHL debut at #StadiumSeries! He's the first player in NHL history to debut in an outdoor game.

: @ESPNPlus or ABC ➡️ https://t.co/FmPv8M6v1l
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/m5XJRVMbI8
— NHL (@NHL) February 18, 2024

Sunday's Stadium Series game at MetLife Stadium -- the second of the weekend, following Saturday's Philadelphia Flyers-New Jersey Devils game -- is the 41st outdoor game in league history.

They started with the 2003 Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.

Starting with the 2007-08 season the league began playing an annual outdoor game -- The Winter Classic -- on New Year's Day, and then gradually began adding more throughout each season known as the league's "Stadium Series."

As for Rempe, he wasted little time in making a name for himself in his debut as he dropped the gloves and got into a fight with the Islanders' Matt Martin on his first ever shift.

✅ First NHL game
First NHL fight

6-foot-8 Matt Rempe drops em' with Matt Martin pic.twitter.com/eLQXfY3vUh
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 18, 2024

First game, first fight and first outdoor game all in the same game for Rempe. That is a debut that has never been done before. Certainly an exciting way to enter the NHL.

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