Thank You Sam

While I've been a Rangers fan my entire life, my first memories of actually watching the team were during the 1994 playoffs.  That obviously was a magical season for the franchise, and it was made so much more special for Rangers fans because it was the last time local TV crews called every round of the playoffs (exclusive national coverage of the later rounds started in 1995).  Which meant that every moment of that run was called by Sam Rosen.  Which meant those moments would be immortalized by the only voice Rangers fans would want to capture them.

"Matteau!  Matteau!  Matteau!" in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.  "The waiting is over...the New York Rangers are the Stanley Cup Champions!  And this one will last a lifetime!" after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.  And so will the man who called them!  After 40 years in the MSG booth, Sam Rosen has called his final game.

For generations of Rangers fans, Sam Rosen provided the soundtrack.  His trademark "It's a power play goal!" call was one of the most recognizable in hockey.  His longtime pairing with John Davidson turned them both into household names.  They became such a legendary tandem that TNT had them reunite for one night only on the national broadcast of a Rangers-Flyers game last week.  Then, after JD left broadcasting for the front office, he was replaced by Joe Micheletti, who built a similar rapport with Sam.

Want to know how beloved Sam Rosen is around the league?  Just look at the showing of appreciation he received on every Rangers road trip this season.  He got the same type of send-off a retiring player would.  He was shown on the big screen and received a standing ovation from the crowd in each arena.  Not only that, each team presented him with a gift, too (he got a lot of bottles of wine!).  It was a farewell tour befitting the legend that he is.

It's not just fans and team executives who love Sam Rosen, either.  The tributes he got from the players were so heartfelt.  Former Ranger Mats Zuccarello wore a "Rosen 40" jersey during the pregame skate when the Wild visited Madison Square Garden earlier this month.  In the Rangers' finale against Tampa Bay, the entire Rangers team came out in "Rosen 40" jerseys.  Then the fans broke into a "Saaammm Ro-sen" chant after one last scoreboard tribute.  And, oh yeah, he was named the No. 1 star of the game!

My memories of Sam Rosen and Rangers hockey go far beyond just the 1994 Stanley Cup run.  As my dad's health was getting worse, I'd often go out and spend time with him.  Since it was winter, it was hockey season.  So, we ended up watching a lot of Rangers games together during the 2022-23 season.  Those are some of my last good memories of spending time with my dad.

Everybody's Sam Rosen/Rangers stories are different.  But they're also similar in many ways.  Watching their favorite team play with that familiar voice calling the action.  And, because he was the Voice of the Rangers for so long, he was the common bond between the generations.  If you watched the Rangers on MSG at any time over the past 40 years, you were listening to a legend.

Over the course of 40 years, he saw so many of the greatest players in NHL history.  He was there for Henrik Lundqvist's entire career.  Wayne Gretzky's final NHL game was in a Rangers uniform.  Mark Messier.  Brian Leetch.  Jaromir Jagr.  Those are just some of the greats who've played for the Rangers with Sam Rosen calling all the action.

And there were plenty of outstanding moments outside of the 1994 Stanley Cup run.  One of his favorites was Mika Zibanejad's five-goal game against the Capitals in 2020.  Prior to Sam's final game, Zibanejad gave him that stick as a going-away present.  There was also Artemi Panarin's overtime winner against the Penguins in Game 7 of the first round in 2022.  Messier's three-goal third period in Game 6 against the Devils in 1994.  (OK, maybe one more from that season.)

Naturally, there were plenty of ups and downs.  For as many good teams the Rangers have had, there have also been plenty of bad seasons.  There were also seasons like this one where the team underperformed and crumbled under the weight of expectations.  The quality of broadcasts never went down, though.  And it was refreshing to not have it sugarcoated.  Sam & Joe never hesitated to call the team or specific players out.  Which I actually think they respected.

"Respect."  That's the word that immediately comes to mind any time Sam Rosen's name came up this season.  If he wasn't respected, would he have gotten such praise around the league?  And the respect goes far beyond his professionalism.  In every interview, whoever was talking about him mentioned how much they respect Sam as a man.  That praise was real.  He's a genuine good guy. 

That outpouring of love throughout the season was simply a way of saying "Thank you" for being not just an excellent broadcaster, but an outstanding person.  He never took for granted the fact that he got to watch hockey games and talk about them for a living.  And he always took time for the fans.  Joe was telling a story during the game about how sometimes on road trips, if the hotel was near the arena, Sam would tell the rest of the TV crew to go ahead so that he could sign autographs and take pictures with anyone who asked.  The appreciation was always mutual.

The Rangers had always told Sam that it was up to him.  He could continue as their play-by-play man as long as he wanted.  So, it was his decision to retire after this season.  I don't think he did it so that he could have a farewell tour.  He did it because he knew it was time and he wanted to enjoy his final season in the booth alongside his friend Joe Micheletti.  I think he also respects the organization so much that he didn't want there to be any uncertainty surrounding next season.

Kenny Albert will take over next season, and there isn't a better person to fill those shoes.  Kenny has been the Rangers' radio play-by-play guy for 29 years and has spent that entire time traveling right alongside Sam Rosen to road games.  He's also the lead national play-by-play announcer on TNT, so playoff games will still have a familiar voice.  And, perhaps most importantly, this won't be the first time Kenny Albert is taking over for a legend.  When Doc Emrick retired as the voice of the NHL On NBC, it was Kenny Albert who replaced him.

But, still, next season won't feel the same.  It's like listening to the Yankees on the radio this season.  No offense to Dave Sims, but he's not John Sterling.  Yankees radio broadcasts sound and feel different.  It'll be the same thing with Rangers games on MSG next season.  Kenny Albert is one of the absolute best in the business.  The Rangers are spoiled in that regard.  He'll seamlessly transition from the radio booth to the TV booth.  But it'll still feel weird to not hear Sam go, "It's a power play goal!"

Next season is the Rangers' 100th anniversary, so Sam won't be completely gone.  He'll still be involved in the celebration in some way.  As he should.  Because, outside of the players, nobody has meant more to the organization over the past four decades.  For generations of Rangers fans, Sam Rosen's voice is all they know.  So, even though they're in very good, very capable hands with Kenny Albert, it won't be the same.  He's not Sam Rosen.  There's only one of him.