Rempe suspended 4 games for elbowing Siegenthaler

New York Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe received a four-game suspension for his high hit on New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.

Rempe caught Siegenthaler with an elbow directly to the head Monday night and was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Newly acquired Devils enforcer Kurtis MacDermid tried to go after Rempe but the officials intervened. MacDermid received a 10-minute misconduct.

Rempe waved goodbye to MacDermid as he was escorted off the ice:

MacDermid wasn't pleased with Rempe's actions.

"He's a young kid in this league. He has a lot to learn still. You don't do things like that when you're in your first year in the league," MacDermid said postgame. "I lost quite a bit of respect for him tonight."

MacDermid said he tried to fight Rempe earlier in the contest, too.

"After a hit like that, it goes without saying you should answer the bell in some way and be a man about it," MacDermid continued. "Then he throws another hit that gets kicked out."

Devils interim head coach Travis Green didn't like the hit, either.

"I think there's some intent there to injure the player," Green said. "Call it predatorial or whatever you want to call it. It's definitely not the first time that it's happened; (it's the) second time against us."

Rempe was ejected last time he played the Devils for catching Nathan Bastian with a high hit.

The 6-foot-7, 241-pound rookie was skating in just his 10th NHL game Monday. He's racked up 54 penalty minutes and has fought four times, but this is the first suspension of his career.

Siegenthaler didn't return to the game.