Kenny Albert has been named the new television play-by-play announcer for New York Rangers hockey, an industry source confirmed to Barrett Media on Monday. Albert, who has called Rangers games on the radio since the 1995-96 season and occasionally fills in on television broadcasts, is now joining the MSG Networks broadcast booth as Sam Rosen retires at the end of the season.
Alex Faust, former play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Kings who has split radio duties with Albert and Don La Greca in recent years, is expected to fill in on television as needed. Mollie Walker of the New York Post was the first to report Albert moving into the role held by Rosen on the broadcasts starting next season. Furthermore, Peter Baugh of The Athletic has reported that Faust will replace Albert as the radio play-by-play announcer for the team.
“It is an incredible thrill and honor to be named the third lead Rangers television play-by-play voice of the last half century,” Albert said in a statement. “I grew up watching Jim Gordon call Rangers hockey, and Sam Rosen has been a friend and colleague for three decades. Sam has been the soundtrack for generations of Blueshirts fans…the memories of his calls will last a lifetime!
“I have enjoyed each and every second calling Rangers games on the radio for 29 seasons – the last 20 with Dave Maloney. Madison Square Garden has been my second home since I was a youngster, and I am so grateful to MSG Networks and the Rangers organization for this tremendous opportunity.”
In addition to his role with MSG Networks, Albert is the lead play-by-play announcer for the NHL on TNT broadcast property and previously called the Stanley Cup Final. Furthermore, he is a play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports NFL broadcasts and has worked with analyst Jonathan Vilma for the last five seasons. Albert became the first play-by-play announcer to broadcast 500 regular season or postseason games for the same network last year and is an original voice for the franchise that launched in 1994.
“For the past 40 years, MSG Networks, the Rangers and Rangers fans have been privileged to have had Hall of Famer Sam Rosen, truly one of sports broadcasting’s all-time greats, in the booth calling Rangers games,” Andrea Greenberg, president and chief executive officer of MSG Networks, said in a statement. “Nobody is better suited to succeed Sam than Kenny Albert, who has established himself as one of the most accomplished and preeminent sports broadcasters of our time and has been a member of our MSG Networks broadcast crew for the last 30 years. We’re very excited about Kenny’s continued association with the Rangers as our principal television play-by-play announcer.”
Rosen has been the play-by-play announcer for Rangers games on MSG Networks for the last 40 years and has worked with analysts Phil Esposito, John Davidson and Joe Micheletti over that tenure. The Rangers organization honored Rosen in a pregame ceremony last month, and he was named the recipient of the prestigious Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Rosen was also the winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2016 and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and New York State Hockey Hall of Fame. Throughout his broadcast career, he called 12 Stanley Cup Final series on NHL Radio and football games for FOX Sports over 23 seasons as well.
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