Rangers honor Sam Rosen, TV voice for 40 seasons

It was not supposed to be this way. Beloved Rangers play-by-play man Sam Rosen, who is retiring, was supposed to be calling games for a Stanley Cup-contending team in his final season. He’s not, though.

Instead, on the Saturday afternoon when Madison Square Garden honored the 77-year-old Rosen, the Rangers played yet another must-win game in their quest to make the playoffs.

But before winning that game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers celebrated the career of Rosen, the team’s TV voice for the last 40 seasons.

Videos of current Rangers players mimicking Rosen’s signature call — “It’s a power-play goal!’’ — and offering their good wishes played on the Garden’s video board before the ceremony. Rosen’s broadcast partner, Joe Micheletti, served as the master of ceremonies for the brief on-ice tribute as Rosen and his wife, Jill, waved to the crowd.

Rosen’s previous broadcast partners, Phil Esposito and John Davidson, presented gifts, a jersey with No. 40 signed by the entire team, flowers and a golden microphone.

In his speech, Rosen thanked his family, his broadcast partners, all the people he worked with at the Garden and the fans.

“To the wonderful people here at Madison Square Garden . . . every time I walk into this building, I know I’m walking into my second home, because the people are the best,’’ he said.

Before the game, current Rangers coach Peter Laviolette reflected on the relationship he has had with Rosen.

“Calling the game, as the voice of the Rangers, you’ve done an unbelievable job, and it’s kind of just a pleasure for me to get to know you,’’ Laviolette said. “So congratulations on 40 years of amazing work.’’

Coming off a 2023-24 season in which they won the Presidents’ Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference finals, the expectation was that in 2024-25, the Rangers would be in the hunt to win the Stanley Cup. Maybe they could send Rosen out with their first Cup since 1994, when Rosen famously punctuated his call of the Game 7 triumph over these same Canucks by saying, “This one will last a lifetime!’’

At the start of Saturday’s game, though, the Rangers were two points out of a playoff spot with only 12 games left in the regular season. If they don’t make the playoffs, Rosen’s retirement will come that much sooner.

“I’ve been able to focus most of the season just on the games and the travel and the team and the race and the ups and downs,’’ Rosen said. “But it’s getting down to the short numbers. I think when we get to the single digits on this road trip, it’ll hit. The final trip to California will be something that’ll hit me.

“That’s why I’d love to see the team make the playoffs and stretch it out,’’ he said. “I’m hoping for the best. I’d like to do some playoff games just to wind it up. That would be great.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.