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Sam Rosen dishes on Rangers broadcast partners in reflective Rink Rap podcast interview
By Jim Cerny,
1 day ago
MSG Network
Sam Rosen was in a reflective mood when he joined the Rink Rap podcast presented by Forever Blueshirts this week. That’s not a surprise considering Rosen recently announced that he will retire from broadcasting New York Rangers games on MSG Network following the upcoming 2024-25 season.
That’s 40 seasons, four decades, behind the mic of Rangers games. But the 77-year-old believes the time is right for a final lap, hopefully ending with another Stanley Cup championship, like the one he called in 1994.
“I think Andy Murray, the tennis pro, said it perfectly for me at Wimbledon (in July) when he said ‘The heart says I want to do this for the rest of my life. The head says you can’t.’,” Rosen explained. “So, it’s a time where I’m on top where I feel very positive, I’ve gotten great reception from the fans. The last few years have been exciting for the Rangers. … so, it’s been real good and you want to go out on top and I feel that’s the way I’m going to leave.”
Rosen is already in the Hockey Hall of Fame, winning the Foster Hewitt Award in 2016, and was enshrined in the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame this summer. The kid from Brooklyn who was a Rangers die-hard growing up, has now been the voice of Blueshirts hockey for multiple generations of fans. That’s something not lost on Rosen.
And he’s loved every second of the ride. Beginning with those mid ’80s Rangers teams featuring John Vanbiesbrouck, Ron Greschner and Ron Duguay to the 1994 champions of Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch and, yes, Mike Keenan. And then the ups and downs since the turn of the century, and years of Henrik Lundqvist, and now two conference final runs in the past three seasons after a swift rebuild.
“There are mixed emotions because this has been such a huge part of my life for so long,” Rosen said. “Every year I’d wake up and know I’ve got Rangers hockey … that was always in front of me. Now, it’s coming down toward the end. The feeling is bittersweet because I know the time has arrived.”
Among a variety of topics discussed on the Rink Rap podcast, Rosen dished on his three main color analysts over the years.
“I’ve been blessed that way to have great, great partners at MSG Network,” he said. “It’s made my job so much easier because you don’t have to worry about the guy next to you. You know, he’s got it down.”
Sam Rosen shares insight about Rangers color analysts
Courtesy: MSG Network
Through four decades of calling Rangers game on television, Rosen has worked primarily with three color analysts: Phil Esposito, John Davidson and Joe Micheletti. Rosen discussed each on the podcast, and also had this to say about Dave Maloney, whom he’s worked with on the radio side, as well.
“He doesn’t just bleed, he explodes Rangers blue,” Rosen said in descriptive fashion. “And if the referee makes a bad call, he’s pounding on the table. And if as player makes a bad play, it’s ‘What is he doing?!’
Phil Esposito
Rosen’s first partner on Rangers games was Esposito, the Hall of Famer who was Blueshirts captain after a storied career with the Boston Bruins. Esposito would later go on to become general manager and coach of the Rangers.
“Espo, gregarious personality, loved to have fun, would not go to the rink in the morning for the morning skate. ‘No Sam, you do that,'” Rosen explained. “I would say 90 percent of the time he didn’t know half the players on the ice during the game. ‘Where did this guy come from, Sam?’ So, that was my job. But with him, as soon as the puck was dropped I knew he knew the hows and whys of the game.”
Esposito was a straight shooter and a big personality. So, it didn’t take much for Rosen to draw the hockey legend out nor to have a good time together on the air.
“He loved to have fun,” Rosen said. “One time in Montreal, there was a delay on the ice and I said, ‘What do you think we should do, Phil.’ And he said, ‘Let’s schmooze!’ So we schmoozed until they dropped the puck again. We had a lot of fun.”
Former Rangers goalie John Davidson was Rosen’s broadcast partner for 20 years before he became an NHL executive, including two seasons as Blueshirts president from 2019-21.
“J.D. is the gold standard of broadcasters in hockey,” Rosen stated.
The two had an outstanding on-air rapport and are close personal friends. To this day, Rosen cannot gush enough about Davidson’s skills behind the mic or his work ethic preparing for broadcasts.
“He set the standard because he related to everyone at every level. He helped teach the game,” Rosen said. “I can’t tell you how many people came up to me and said ‘I learned the game of hockey from you and J.D.’ And J.D. was the man. He related to the fans, related to the players — spoke to them on their level, related to executives — which he became, related to ownership. He just set the standard.”
Joe Micheletti replaced Davidson and will be working his 19th season alongside Rosen in 2024-25. A former NHL player, coach and executive, Micheletti honed his analyst skills working with Howie Rose on Islanders broadcasts before moving to Broadway.
“Joe Micheletti is right out of that (J.D.) mold,” Rosen explained, referencing how detailed his partner is and how much time he puts into gathering pertinent information.
“Again, another person where players know him, he’s worked in different scenarios — working the sideline, being at ice level, working up in the booth. So, the players know him. He knows the game inside out and is able to present it in such a fashion where I don’t have to worry about it. I know if I stop talking, Joe will jump in with something relevant to what’s going on because he’s seeing the big picture.
But Rosen did point out a funny oddity with Michelletti.
“Joe has his little yellow sheets of paper that he folds up and scribbles his notes, which you can’t decipher. Nobody could read it except him.” Rosen said with a laugh. “He’s got all the notes that he needs to relate the game perfectly to the fans.”
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