Sam Rosen, the play-by-play announcer for New York Rangers hockey on MSG Networks for the last 39 seasons, has announced that he is retiring from the position after the 2024-25 campaign. Over his nearly four decades with the team, Rosen has been behind the microphone for several memorable moments, including the team breaking its 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994. Rosen was named the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016. The network has not announced a successor to Rosen’s position.
“I’ve been living out a dream for the last 40-plus years,” Rosen said in a statement. “To be able to call the games for the team I’ve been cheering for since I was a 10-year-old kid in Brooklyn has been magical, and to be there to see the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994 was one of the greatest moments of my life. Rangers fans are the best in the world, and to be able to be in their living rooms for so long talking about the team they love has been the privilege of a lifetime. I’m excited about this season and can’t wait to get going.”
Rosen started his career with MSG Networks in 1977 and became the studio host and part-time radio play-by-play voice of New York Rangers hockey in 1982. Beginning in 1984, he started calling play-by-play for the team on television where he initially worked with Phil Esposito. Once Esposito left MSG Networks in 1986, Rosen paired with former Rangers goaltender John Davidson for 20 seasons, including during the team’s illustrious 1994 Stanley Cup run.
“Sam’s love of hockey and for the New York Rangers, together with his distinctive voice, enthusiasm and impeccable sense of timing, have been a unique gift to hockey fans throughout his amazing hall of fame career,” Andrea Greenberg, president and chief executive officer of MSG Networks, said in a statement “Sam has been an indispensable element of Rangers broadcasts for over four decades and he will forever be a part of our MSG Networks family. We look forward to celebrating Sam throughout the upcoming season.”
“Congratulations to Sam on a truly historic broadcasting career and for providing generations of Rangers fans with unforgettable moments,” Chris Drury, president and general manager of the New York Rangers, said in a statement. “After growing up as a Rangers fan listening to Sam on television, it’s been an absolute pleasure to get to know him on a personal level in my years as a player and executive. Sam will forever be connected with New York Rangers hockey and Sam and his family will always be a part of our Rangers family.”
Joe Micheletti joined Rosen in the broadcasting booth in 2006 and has been the color commentator for the team since that year. Rosen and Micheletti will embark on their final season in the broadcasting booth together following a year in which the Rangers fell two wins short of the Stanley Cup Final. New York Rangers hockey on MSG Networks will begin with preseason action next month leading up to the team’s home opener against the Utah Hockey Club on
“Forty plus years of brilliance in the booth, with an unparalleled passion and love for the fans, the sport, the athletes, the coaches and everyone associated with the NHL,” Micheletti said in a statement. “You’ve made all of those that work with you better people and you’ve helped us all reach heights that would not have been achievable without your support. You have included all of us on your crowded list of friends. For all these reasons and many more, your legacy will last a lifetime. Thank you, Sam, for giving us another season to experience it all one more time and to honor you.”
This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is learned.
