Rangers’ Rempe earns four-game suspension
Rangers forward Matt Rempe has been suspended four games for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head.
The NHL’s department of player safety announced the ban after a disciplinary hearing Tuesday, handing the well-known rookie his first suspension 10 games into his career.
Rempe, 21, had taken the league by storm by fighting four times since he was called up from the minors. He delivered a couple of borderline hits, and that rough play, combined with fisticuffs, gave him 54 penalty minutes — just below his total ice time of 56:28.
Then came the hit on Siegenthaler on Monday night, which drew a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The league, in a video explaining its rationale for suspending him four games, said Rempe flared his left elbow up and out in dangerous fashion in order to make contact rather than missing completely.
Siegenthaler was injured on the play and did not return.
Rempe forfeits $17,083 in salary as part of the suspension. He’ll miss games at Carolina, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh and at home against the Islanders before being eligible to come back March 19 against Winnipeg.
CURRY CLEARED
Stephen Curry was cleared Tuesday to resume on-court activity as he recovers from his latest right ankle sprain, and if all goes well could rejoin the Warriors for practice Friday in Los Angeles.
The team provided an update on Curry’s health after he was re-evaluated Tuesday and determined to be making “good progress.” He is scheduled to be examined again after the Friday workout. He will train in the Bay Area until then, missing tonight’s game at Dallas. The Warriors play at the Lakers on Saturday night.
An MRI on Curry’s ankle last week revealed no structural damage.
FORDHAM TOPS DAVIDSON
Will Richardson scored a season-high 20 points and Antrell Charlton added five during a 10-0 run in overtime as No. 12 seed Fordham took down No. 13 seed Davidson, 71-63, on Tuesday to begin the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.
Fordham (13-19) advances to play No. 5 seed VCU in the second round today.
Fordham guard Kyle Rose tied it, 61-61, on a layup with 2.1 seconds left in regulation. Charlton opened overtime with a 3-pointer as Fordham scored the first 10 points. Davidson’s only points in overtime came on Connor Kochera’s basket in the closing seconds.