Sam Rosen To Retire After Next Season

[Boris Zubov]

I'm a big supporter of Alex Faust for the job. We need youth.

God please, no. Faust is constantly yelling at the most mundane plays.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Lester Patrick Night. December 3, 1947. Loss to Toronto

Lester Patrick Night December 3, 1947. Loss to Toronto 4-1
Closing of Madison Square Garden February 11, 1968 tied Detroit 3-3

Thanks! This helps!

Hoping to find more event nights like this one.

 

[bl02]

Took us to play a shit team like Vancouver to win at home.
Happy for Sam at least

 

[its not that serious]

Put on a random game on YouTube, from October 1995, didn't even make it through more than one period before Sam let us all know that Zdenek Nedved is not related to Petr Nedved. Classic.

 

[SML2]

IMO, what makes Sam such a great Play by play man is that he understands when not to talk, that the crowd noise is a character in the show, and when it speaks, let it be heard. So many of the new guys just shriek through every play like its game 7 OT every play. Sam never loses his cool. He's a pro, and one of the best to ever do it.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I can’t remember why Park never had his jersey retired. Anyone remember? Just bad blood between him and organization?

Well #2 is retired

 

[NickyFotiu]

I do think it would be nice if Brad joined Brian in the rafters.

 

[turcotte8]

"It's a Power Play goal!" should be recorded and played on the speakers at MSG whenever they score on the PP.

 

[NickyFotiu]

 

[UnparalledPark]

Now is the time for Rangers to right their Brad Park wrong​

The Rangers this week unfurled their centennial logo that will be featured during the franchise’s 2025-26 100th anniversary season, but the only banner at the Garden I’m interested in seeing would be Brad Park’s No. 2 hanging from the famous pinwheel ceiling.

If there is ever a time to right the injustice that has perpetrated for decades, it is now. If there is ever a time to honor the second greatest defenseman in franchise history, it is now.

Park, who will turn 77 in July, has earned it. So has the generation of fans that grew up on Emile Francis’ beloved teams that, truth be told, kind of set the template for the half-century that has followed that group.

I don’t care if he played 36 games more wearing the hated spoked-B than he did wearing the Blueshirt, I don’t care if he played fewer than 500 games as a Ranger, neither does anyone who appreciates the tortured history of this Original Six franchise and neither does anyone else who sat the in the blue seats those days that both seem so long ago and like yesterday. We’re dwindling, if you haven’t noticed.

There were five pillars of that era and four of them have appropriately been honored. But if the Rangers are going to celebrate 100 years of history, if there is truly an intention to reward the paying customers who have bled blue, white and red through decades upon decades — and that, in addition to marketing revenue, is what this celebration is about — then Park’s No. 2 finally needs to accompany Ed Giacomin’s No. 1, Rod Gilbert’s No. 7, Vic Hadfield’s No. 11 and Jean Ratelle’s No. 19 at the top of the building.

Almost 100 years and coming up on 50 years since Park left the building, it is the right thing to do. No. 2 has earned it. Rangers fans deserve it. It is no more complicated than that.

Thanks for posting that Mike. Pretty neat.

 

[Jack Hanson]

One thing I love about Sam Rosen is he makes it feel like a family affair. He knows everyone and always has kind words. He seems to rise above partisan feelings and becomes excited even when an opponent is beating us badly. He's just an uplifting personality that fills a void. I hope he has many more years where he'll occasionally come visit us on tv and we keep getting to see him. He's just the best. Such a memorable personality.

 

[Trotsnj]

Thanks! This helps!

Hoping to find more event nights like this one.

In the mid-80s they had a yearly ceremony for Alumni of the Year. Either pre-game or after the 1st period. Do you count those? I recall Tkaczuk, Hextall (he had already passed), Bill Cook - maybe Murray Murdoch as well.

 

[alkurtz]

As someone who was there when Park made his NHL debut (at the start of his career, those of us in my blue seat section, called him "the baby-faced killer"), I absolutely think his jersey should be retired. Yes, his career was a bit short, he never could deliver the big prize, he always seemed to get hurt late in the season, and he always played second fiddle to Bobby Orr, but he was still one of the best players in Ranger history for, I think, a long enough period of time. If there are any lingering bad feelings, well, enough is enough, almost 50 years since his trade. There were bad feelings with Ratelle, but he is up there. So should park.

I think Alex Faust would be a great choice. Someone who could grow into the job, who is young, Brooklyn born. Nobody can replace Sam, at least not in the short term and it will be easy to call to task anyone who replaces him. But, if the Rangers are looking for someone who could possibly be around for a long time, Faust would be fine. I've never quite liked Albert, there is something about his voice that bothers me. But, if he is the choice, that is fine.

 

[Roo Returns]

Sam is genuine. I think that's what makes him so great. He's been the soundtrack to our lives and as Valliquette said, when we're having a rough day at work, the world is messed up, Sam's a voice of comfort.

Nice touch in that Twitter clip from Davey to have the CG Sandstrom poster in the beginning. He was great here.

Larry's bee on the Park thing for decades. It's a good idea.

 

[Mike in Houston]

Looking back on it I really think Sam deserved a better ceremony. I would have liked John Davidson to speak to the Garden crowd. I would have enjoyed seeing a banner with Sam's likeness from the WeBleedBlue shirt with "IT'S A POWER PLAY GOAL!!! SAM ROSEN : VOICE OF THE RANGERS 1984-2025" lifted up to the ceiling. Former players on the ice with Sam. A current player like Chris Kreider, the longest tenured player on the team, present Sam with the jersey.

I felt the Rangers could've done more. But Rick Carpiniello told me they might be waiting to do something a bit more special next season during the Centennial. We'll see.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

In the mid-80s they had a yearly ceremony for Alumni of the Year. Either pre-game or after the 1st period. Do you count those? I recall Tkaczuk, Hextall (he had already passed), Bill Cook - maybe Murray Murdoch as well.

I try stick to one-off ceremonies. It's too much to include annual ceremonies because the list would be endless.

 

[Roo Returns]

Looking back on it I really think Sam deserved a better ceremony. I would have liked John Davidson to speak to the Garden crowd. I would have enjoyed seeing a banner with Sam's likeness from the WeBleedBlue shirt with "IT'S A POWER PLAY GOAL!!! SAM ROSEN : VOICE OF THE RANGERS 1984-2025" lifted up to the ceiling. Former players on the ice with Sam. A current player like Chris Kreider, the longest tenured player on the team, present Sam with the jersey.

I felt the Rangers could've done more. But Rick Carpiniello told me they might be waiting to do something a bit more special next season during the Centennial. We'll see.

I think it's also that Sam is a humble guy and doesn't want much of the focus on him. Seems to fit his personality.

I'm really happy he gave Al Trautwig a shoutout yesterday. We all miss Al. I would've loved if he mentioned Bob Page, Bruce Beck, Bill Daughtry, Mike Quick, and Mike Crispino. All those guys were important to MSG.

Curious what Bob Page has to say on Twitter.

The Sam press conference pregame was really interesting. A few things I didn't know:

-Jim Gordon was a role model/mentor for Sam
-MSG told Sam in 1984 that they were going to replace Gordon and either Sam took the job or they were going to give it to someone else and how Sam felt conflicted replacing his mentor (interesting Gordon also was replaced in 1993 by Bob Papa for the Giants radio. He was a legend and I don't want to make assumptions but some old school fans and Artie Lang is his comedy skits mentioned that Jim had some issues with drinking).
-Sam and Joe first worked together on ESPN in the 1990s and was a factor in them hiring Joe in 2006. I have no recollection of this. I remember the Fox puck glowing era but more with JD.
-Lavi mentioned getting to know Sam in the early 2000s when he coached the Islanders. I'm surprised they didn't first interact in 1988 when Lavi played a dozen games with the Rangers or even in training camp during the Roger Neilson years because Lavi was in the Rangers organization for four years.

 

[Mike in Houston]

I think it's also that Sam is a humble guy and doesn't want much of the focus on him. Seems to fit his personality.

I'm really happy he gave Al Trautwig a shoutout yesterday. We all miss Al. I would've loved if he mentioned Bob Page, Bruce Beck, Bill Daughtry, Mike Quick, and Mike Crispino. All those guys were important to MSG.

Curious what Bob Page has to say on Twitter.

The Sam press conference pregame was really interesting. A few things I didn't know:

-Jim Gordon was a role model/mentor for Sam
-MSG told Sam in 1984 that they were going to replace Gordon and either Sam took the job or they were going to give it to someone else and how Sam felt conflicted replacing his mentor (interesting Gordon also was replaced in 1993 by Bob Papa for the Giants radio. He was a legend and I don't want to make assumptions but some old school fans and Artie Lang is his comedy skits mentioned that Jim had some issues with drinking).
-Sam and Joe first worked together on ESPN in the 1990s and was a factor in them hiring Joe in 2006. I have no recollection of this. I remember the Fox puck glowing era but more with JD.
-Lavi mentioned getting to know Sam in the early 2000s when he coached the Islanders. I'm surprised they didn't first interact in 1988 when Lavi played a dozen games with the Rangers or even in training camp during the Roger Neilson years because Lavi was in the Rangers organization for four years.

Sam and Joe worked Fox games as the #2 team. JD and Doc were the top team.

 

[Roo Returns]

Sam and Joe worked Fox games as the #2 team. JD and Doc were the top team.

So strange, I was watching all the time back then and have no recollection of that. I even remember the Pizza Hut cheese crust NHL commercials with Howie Long and "two minute penalty for not eating the crust first" and Glen Healy ripping on the puck that would light up with a shot over 90 MPH calling it Haley's Comet. Is it because JD and Doc did a majority of the Rangers games?

 

[Mike in Houston]

So strange, I was watching all the time back then and have no recollection of that. I even remember the Pizza Hut cheese crust NHL commercials with Howie Long and "two minute penalty for not eating the crust first" and Glen Healy ripping on the puck that would light up with a shot over 90 MPH calling it Haley's Comet. Is it because JD and Doc did a majority of the Rangers games?

Yes. Often times Doc and JD did the Rangers.

Here is a Youtube Playlist of Fox games.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Best Sam Rosen memories. Mine are from yesterday and all of those Rangers playoff calls especially in 94 when I was 12. What are your favorite memories either photos, videos or goal calls?

If the Rangers somehow make the playoffs, is it possible that MSG would carry all Rangers playoffs games so Rangers fans can hea Sam for one more playoff year? Any chance that in the CBA or contracts with ESPN, TNT that all NHL teams would broadcast all of their own playoff games for all 4 rounds of the playoffs? Sam And JD I believe were the last broadcasting team to broadcast the NHL finals. This needs to comeback