I don’t recall watching much Rangers hockey on television until Brooklyn got cable in 1989, so I don’t remember anyone announcing Rangers games on television before Sam Rosen started doing play-by-play in 1984.
Sam was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016 and this year, announced that 2024-2025 will be his swan song with the Rangers as their play-by-play voice. I remember Sam with the New York Cosmos and he’s done quite a bit of work outside the Rangers on network TV.
I had the pleasure of meeting Sam at a meet and greet that someone arranged at a Midtown Manhattan restaurant. I was amazed how Sam gave everyone 3-5 minutes of his time, talking to fans. Usually, you spend $129 and you get maybe 3 seconds and no photo. I was able to talk to Sam for about 5 minutes, he asked where I was from, and I asked about his home in Rockland County since my wife was from there. I’ve met hundreds of athletes, personalities, and actors over the years, and Sam is probably one of the greatest encounters I’ve had, up there with Brandon Nimmo and Dusty Rhodes.
