Sam Rosen bids farewell after 40 years with Rangers: ‘Thank you, from the bottom of my heart’

With the playoffs out of reach for the New York Rangers Thursday night, all attention was deservedly on retiring play-by-play voice Sam Rosen.

After more than 40 years with the Rangers, Rosen signed off for the final time Thursday night with a heartwarming call that was filled with gratitude before being honored as the first star of the game.

“Final game of this glorious broadcasting career… And to all of our crew and to everyone that I’ve worked with here at Madison Square Garden Network, thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” – Sam Rosen. signing off pic.twitter.com/uDwQYiSEr2

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 18, 2025

“Final game of this glorious broadcasting career. It’s a shutout for Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers…a great way to go out, a 4-0 Rangers win,” Rosen said before thanking his broadcast partner Joe Micheletti. “And to all of our crew and to everyone that I’ve worked with here at Madison Square Garden Network, thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

“And tonight’s first star, from MSG Network, Sam Rosen.”

“What a night. A night to remember. And I can’t thank the Rangers organization, MSG Networks enough for making this so special for me. Nice finish to the season. Nice finish to the career.” pic.twitter.com/LBaf38EVeN

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 18, 2025

Prior to the game, every Rangers player took the ice for warmups wearing a jersey with the No. 40 to honor Rosen’s 40 years as their lead announcer. The 77-year-old broadcaster joined the Rangers broadcast crew in 1982, succeeding Jim Gordon as the team’s lead TV play-by-play voice prior to the 1984-85 season.

But Sam Rosen wasn’t the only person retiring from the Rangers broadcast crew Thursday night, with the iconic play-by-play voice honorably sharing the spotlight with lead tape operator Fred Minardi who had worked with MSG since 1989.

Sam Rosen made sure to mention lead tape operator Fred Minardi, who is also retiring.

In the perfect timing department, the Rangers scored a goal right after.

“This is his replay. This is what makes our job easy,” Joe Micheletti. pic.twitter.com/N7Rlc35qh8

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 18, 2025

Sam Rosen was born in Germany and grew up in Brooklyn in the 1950s and 1960s as a fan of the New York Yankees, Knicks, Giants, and Rangers. The aspiring broadcaster broke in as Marv Albert’s backup with the Knicks in the late 1970s before ultimately becoming synonymous with the Rangers. And on June 14, 1994, Rosen’s voice would be forever associated with Rangers history, as he was on the call when they ended their championship drought with a Game 7 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

After making it to the Conference Finals last year, the Rangers entered Rosen’s final season with Stanley Cup aspirations. Unfortunately, they fell well short of those expectations and failed to make the playoffs. The Rangers didn’t want Rosen’s final broadcast to come in a meaningless game.

But Sam Rosen gave meaning to the game Thursday night. And there was something special about that final game coming on a night where he was able to be the center of attention.