Sam Rosen, heading into his 40th season as MSG Networks’ New York Rangers’ T.V. play-by-play announcer, said the upcoming 2024-25 campaign would be his last. The long-time Rangers announcer has been the voice of over 3,000 Blueshirts games.
“I’ve been living out a dream for the last 40-plus years. 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 is magical,” said Rosen according to the Rangers and MSG Networks.
Rosen, whose 77th birthday was Monday, has called play-by-play for the Blueshirts on MSG Network since 1984. MSG called him “one of the most knowledgeable and thorough play-by-play personalities in sports.” He has called games alongside legendary NHL Hall-of-Famer Phil Esposito. Rosen also calls football games every week for the National Football League on FOX.
The Rangers announcer’s awards include four New York Emmys for his Blueshirts coverage and he is an eight-time nominee for play-by-play achievement. Rosen won the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2016 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. He called games on NHL Radio from 1996 to 2008, including a dozen Stanley Cup Finals.
He was born in Germany and moved to Brooklyn with his family at the age of two. As a boy, he became a fan of multiple iconic New York sports teams. The Blueshirts, the fellow Madison Square Garden team Knicks, as well as MLBs New York Yankees and the NFLs New York Giants. Now, let’s take a look at some of his iconic calls for the Rangers.
Best Calls by Sam Rosen
1. “And this one will last a lifetime!” Rangers Announcer Calls 1994 Stanley Cup Victory
Without a doubt, his most iconic call was the 1994 Stanley Cup championship.
“We want the cup!” fans chanted with just over a second left on the clock. It was the Blueshirts’ first Stanley Cup since 1940, and fourth ever.
“The waiting is over! The New York Rangers are the Stanley Cup Champions! And this one will last a lifetime!” Those were the words of Rosen on June 14, 1994, as almost two million elated fans were watching their team win Lord Stanley’s cup for the first time in over half a century.
Ultimately, the Blueshirts would beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 off goals from legendary blueliner Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and then captain Mark Messier.
“For me it was more of a personal call. It would last my lifetime no matter what happened,” Rosen told The New York Post. “If they won three more, no more, five more… certainly the hope was that they would win a lot of Stanley Cups,” he said. “I didn’t want to say it would last my lifetime, but that was really the meaning, that it would last a lifetime for me, and it has.”
Previously that playoffs, the Rangers defeated their rival, the New Jersey Devils, in the 1994 Eastern Conference Final 4-3 in the series. Game 7 was 2-1 in 2OT at Madison Square Garden.
Rangers Win Stanley Cup 6/14/1994 – YouTube
2. “They win the series four games to one!” Blueshirts beat Penguins in 2015 NHL Eastern First Round
On April 24, 2015, Derek Stepan’s power play snap shot goal in the first period and forward Carl Hagelin’s overtime game-winning wrister helped them defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 in the series. The game took place at Madison Square Garden and saw Stepan’s goal in the first period and then Pens’ forward Nick Spaling in the second, off an assist from Sidney Crosby and then Pens’ forward Steve Downie. But there was no scoring in the third, so overtime was forced.
“The Rangers win! Rangers win! They win the series four games to one!” Rosen called.
3. “Captain Callahan comes through!” Rangers Get 2013 Playoff Spot
On April 25, 2013, then Blueshirts captain Ryan Callahan, one of the three stars of the game, scored an overtime, game-winning snap shot 2:55 into OT.
“There’s Callahan moving deep! He shoots! He scores! Rangers win! They’re in the playoffs! Captain Callahan comes through!” Rosen said.
They won this game 4-3 against the Carolina Hurricanes off goals from Derek Stepan, who opened the scoring, Derick Brassard, Brad Richards and finally Callahan. The Blueshirts were the second New York team that week to notch a playoff position in Carolina, with the New York Islanders doing it just a couple days before.
Rangers clinch playoff berth in OT over Canes (sportsnet.ca)
4. “Oh, baby, what a goal!” Rangers Announcer Calls Overtime Game-Winner
On November 24, 2017, Mats Zuccarello scored a game-winning snap shot 37 seconds into overtime to beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. In the same game, former Blueshirts goalie Henrik Lundqvist notched 40 saves on 41 shots.
“He scores! Rangers win! Oh, baby, what a goal!” Rosen called after Zuccarello’s overtime hero goal.
Zuccarello scored from the left circle, taking a pass through the slot from blueliner Brady Skjei.
Lundqvist, Zuccarello lead Rangers to OT win (youtube.com)
Main Photo: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
