Unpopular candidates enter race for Rangers’ head coaching spot

Only days after Gerard Gallant was let go as head coach of the New York Rangers, rumours started swirling that the Blue Shirts could consider Joel Quenneville as his replacement. The chatter quickly got shut down, but new candidates have emerged and let’s just say they don’t look to please the Rangers’ fanbase.

On Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Rangers could turn to Patrick Roy or Mike Babcock as options to take over the bench in NYC.

“I do wonder if Babcock is on their radar. I think one of the things here is: it’s hard to see the Rangers going new. It just doesn’t fit their MO.”

When host Jeff Marek asked about the possibility of GM Chris Drury looking at a former teammate, Friedman immediately hinted at Patrick Roy, whom the general manager knows well from his days playing in Colorado.

“It wouldn’t surprise me, like Roy also has the personality to handle that. It would surprise me if he didn’t at least look at it, for sure.

Roy is the current coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and has led his club to the finals.

He could be looking to be promoted back to the NHL. As for Babcock, he hasn’t coached in the league since getting a lot of heat and backlash for poor actions taken on players in Detroit and during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The once the highest-paid head coach in the NHL has been staying away from the league, but it could change if the Rangers are serious about hiring him. 

However, whether it’s Roy or Babcock, fans on Twitter do not seem thrilled about the Rangers’ new candidates:

Let's see what happens next in the Big Apple, especially behind the Rangers' bench. 

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