5/19/23 | The Rangers reportedly interviewed Peter Laviolette and Mike Babcock this week. (The Athletic)

5/17/23 | 3:09 PM: Elliotte Friedman said on The Jeff Marek Show on Wednesday “I think that both Columbus and the Rangers like Laviolette. The whole Sullivan thing was a pipe dream, there was no way that was happening. I know the Rangers lust after him, but that is not happening.”

Friedman added “I believe certain people in the Rangers organization had interest in Babcock and certain didn’t.”

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Darren Dreger tweets that Gary Bettman will meet with Joel Quenneville “as soon as the season ends to review his status.”

Quenneville was considered to be a top candidate to replace Gerard Gallant but it was reported that the Rangers are not pursuing him.

Elliotte Friedman said of the Rangers and Quenneville last week “I think the Rangers and a lot of other teams that need coaches want to get on their searches and get an idea of who is available. I think that if they believe Quenneville would be potentially available that he would be on their list. I just think that right now there is no guarantee that he is going to be available, so why would you start going through your search with someone who you don’t think is going to be there?”

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5/16/23 | Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Tonight that Peter Laviolette is on the radar for both the Rangers and Columbus.

5/12/23 | On Friday’s 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman said:

• “I think Chris Drury believes that NHL coaching experience is going to be a huge part of this search. I always think that there is a chance that anything can change if you get blown away by someone, so I always keep that door open, but I do think that NHL coaching experience is high on their list.”

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6:40 PM: Mark Messier said on ESPN of the Rangers firing Gallant, “The Rangers were in a tough position because their kids weren’t ready to take on a top-six role so they had to go out and supplement their top-six forwards because they weren’t good enough and all the expectations from last year and going to the conference finals and it just didn’t work for them this year. They couldn’t get on the same page for whatever reason, the chemistry didn’t seem to be there, they never looked comfortable, to me, going into the playoffs and that is a horrible place to be as a team, trying to find your game going into the playoffs and it ultimately cost the Rangers in this years playoffs.”

6:03 PM: EJ Hradek, in speaking about the Rangers, said “when you hear people talk about it, they feel like wanted someone that could make in-game adjustments better and strategy was, they felt like it was a weak point. So I guess you gotta add somebody that can do that.” (NHL Network)

11:42 AM: Elliotte Friedman spoke about the Rangers on the 32 Thoughts podcast and said:

• “There is no doubt to me that whoever is going to be the next head coach of the New York Rangers is going to have to be somebody who can reach the likes of Panarin and Lafreniere. Someone said to me that those are the two players, and they weren’t the only ones, those are the two players that the Rangers were most concerned about after the playoffs.”

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