Kenny Albert has been a busy man juggling his duties between calling New York Rangers hockey for ESPN Radio New York and being Turner’s lead announcer during the NHL Playoffs. It appears a conflict has opened the door for longtime Rangers voice Sam Rosen to enter the booth again.
Albert is tabbed by Turner to broadcast the Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers. Rosen will fill-in again for Albert as he did during Games 3 and 7 of the Rangers series with the Hurricanes that just wrapped. It’s something he negotiated for with MSG; when Albert cannot be the voice of the Rangers on ESPN New York… call Sam.
The potential duration of Rosen’s play calls all hinges upon the outcomes of the first four games between the Avalanche and Oilers. As of now, he will get at least the first four games of the Eastern Conference Final. He will be alongside analyst Dave Maloney.
Rosen has been the voice of the Rangers on MSG since 1984 and was on the call of the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship run for the team. He was limited to postgame roles in 2014 and 2015 in which the Rangers made the Stanley Cup Final and Eastern Conference Final respectively. That’s because his role on MSG was usurped by national television picking up the rights to the broadcast. In an interesting tidbit, that 1994 Rangers was meant Rosen was on the call for the last time a local television channel was allowed to carry the Final.
Albert could return to his play-by-play duties on ESPN New York if the Western Conference Final ends before the Eastern. If the Rangers make it back to the Final, Albert will be on the call for ESPN New York because this year’s Final is an ABC broadcast. Next year it will belong to Turner.
How does Rosen feel about all of that?
“For the Final, I’ll beg for any role I can get.”
