Rangers' Matt Rempe says dangerous hits 'can't happen again'

GREENBURGH – Matt Rempe did his time, and after serving his eight-game suspension for his elbow on Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen, the forward is eligible to return when the Rangers host the rival Devils Thursday night. But he said he knows he may have to tone things down a little.

“I’ve got to still play my game, but… it can't happen again or else it's gonna be a huge suspension,’’ he said after practice Wednesday. “I don't have to make every hit, if that makes sense… I’ve got to be able to pick my hits, to know when I make the hit. I’ve got to make sure that's going to be a good hit because then I make a big impact with that.

“If I'm going to make every hit, sometimes some of them are risky,’’ he continued. “Guys are trying to duck out of the way at the last second, and I'm so big, [if] I catch a piece of something like that, I'm [suspended] 20 games then. So I can't let anything like that happen. I’ve got to be a bit more controlled.’’

Rempe, 22, revealed he spoke last summer to NHL director of player safety George Parros about how to stay out of trouble with his on-ice hits. And he admitted his hit on Heiskanen, where he both boarded him and got his elbow up into the side of his head, “wasn't a good hit.’’

“When they're right against the wall, you kind of smush ’em in,’’ he said. “It's more like when they're a foot away, those are the ones that are dangerous. But I was coming in with too much speed. I'm too big of a guy [6-9, 255] to come with that much speed, and I’ve just got to be a lot smarter.

“If it’s any way in doubt, I feel like I veer to the side of caution for now, because… I’m a marked man right now, so I’ve got to keep it clean.’’

“Matt's learned,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “We talk to him about every hit, certainly the times that he's been suspended, what he needs to do in order to not have that happen… But we also have to make sure that he brings his game... He's just got to keep it between the lines.’’

No update on Chytil's status 

There was no further update on center Filip Chytil, who left Tuesday’s game after the second period with an upper-body injury. The team officially said the 25-year-old is “being evaluated’’ and Laviolette repeated that, without offering any kind of hint as to how severe the injury might be, or any sort of timetable for his potential return. Chytil has had a history of concussions and missed the final 72 games of last season with what was believed to be a concussion.

With Chytil and Chris Kreider (on injured reserve with an upper-body injury) not practicing. Laviolette changed up the middle two lines at practice. Will Cuylle moved up to the second line, in Kreider’s spot, with Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith, and Jonny Brodzinski stepped into Chytil’s spot on the third line, between rookie Brett Berard and newcomer Arthur Kaliyev, who was claimed off waivers from the Kings on Monday.

Blue notes

Kreider skated on his own before practice… G Igor Shesterkin, who remains on IR with an upper-body injury, was a full participant in practice.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.