The Rangers canned Gerard Gallant after a disappointing first-round loss to the Devils. They aren’t going to hire disgraced former Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. And they probably won’t hire franchise immortal Mark Messier.
How about Patrick Roy? Yes, that Patrick Roy.
So here’s the latest name floating around the Rangers. Roy was the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche from 2013-14 to 2015-16, winning the Jack Adams in his first season. That tenure ended with him taking his puck and going home in August 2016. He has been the head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts since 2018.
Roy and Rangers GM Chris Drury were teammates with the Avalanche, which fulfills the requirement that almost every hockey hiring has to involve people who played together, worked together or are at least second cousins. But would that take precedence over Roy being known to have a rather volatile personality … or the fact that Drury would be hiring someone who quit his last NHL gig because he didn’t have enough control over player personnel decisions?
Hey, why not. Although our gut tells us they’ll promote Kris Knoblauch once Hartford is done in the AHL playoffs. This feels like a situation where the players just tuned Gallant out and all Drury wants is a familiar, but fresh, voice. But you never know.
Side note: It’s too bad we don’t really care about hockey around these parts. Because the inevitable Mike Keenan calls to WFAN would be amazing.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
