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The Express Gazette
Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Rempe Reaches for Rangers Ceiling With Hall of Famer’s Help

Rising Rangers forward teams up with Hall of Fame center Adam Oates through the Oates Sports Group to accelerate development.

Sports 5 months ago
Rempe Reaches for Rangers Ceiling With Hall of Famer’s Help

Matt Rempe’s development path with the New York Rangers has taken an unusual turn: he has aligned with Hall of Fame center Adam Oates through the Oates Sports Group to push toward the team’s ceiling. The arrangement was disclosed by The New York Post, which reported that Rempe signed on as a client in the summer. Rempe, a forward in the Rangers organization, said the mentorship has become a key driver of his preparation.

On Thursday morning skate, Rempe described the partnership as 'pretty wild! It’s pretty wild, right?' after telling The Post that he signed up as a client with the Oates Sports Group over the summer. 'I think that’s been instrumental for me because he’s one of the greatest players of all time and I skated with him a ton.'

Adam Oates is a Hall of Fame center whose 1,079 career assists rank eighth on the NHL's all-time list. He played 19 seasons and retired in 2004, and he was known for his playmaking vision and cerebral approach to the game. The pairing links a young forward with one of hockey’s most renowned playmakers, a combination that The Post noted as emblematic of a broader push in player development toward leveraging veteran IQ alongside raw potential.

The arrangement is being described as one of the sport’s most unlikely mentor matches, a dynamic that The New York Post highlighted as part of a broader trend toward pairing young players with veteran scorers who can translate Hall of Fame experiences into contemporary production. The collaboration is expected to emphasize on-ice sessions, video work, and guidance in recognizing multiple options in a given sequence, with a focus on decision-making in high-leverage moments.

Rempe's progress has long been watched by Rangers staff as he pursues regular NHL minutes. The arrangement does not guarantee a specific outcome, but it underscores the franchise’s emphasis on player development and harnessing creativity while balancing the practical demands of a salary-cap era roster. The Oates-led initiative reflects an evolving approach within the Rangers’ internal development ecosystem, blending peer-like mentorship with formal training to maximize the upside of young players who can contribute in tight, competitive environments.

For Rempe, the alliance represents both a personal milestone and a signal about where the organization sees his potential. While the path to the NHL is never linear, alignment with a Hall of Fame scorer who can translate elite intuition into modern execution may help Rempe translate his raw tools into consistent production on a bigger stage.


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