The Greatest of Sam Rosen's Calls as Voice of the New York Rangers

Before the 2024/25 NHL season gets underway, the New York Rangers will experience something for the final time in their last 40 years as a franchise—play-by-play action from the legendary Sam Rosen. The 77-year-old broadcaster announced his retirement earlier this month, to take effect after the 2024/25 season, after 40 years of calling Rangers games, leaving countless iconic calls along the way. Here are the greatest hits from Rosen's legendary career.

"AND THIS ONE WILL LAST A LIFETIME!!"- 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 7

Undoubtedly Rosen's greatest moment, the last time the Rangers won it all for the 1st time in 54 years, Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, was nothing short of magical. After so much heartbreak and the effects of the cursed 1940 team, New York finally reached the top of the hockey mountain in a thrilling full-distance series against the Vancouver Canucks. This series was the culmination of Mark Messier's guaranteed win in Game 6 against the Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Stephane Matteau's iconic Game 7 series winner that same series. Even though Rosen didn't directly make the now famous "Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!" call, that being the Islanders' Howie Rose, ironically enough, no way in hell was New York letting this chance to finally win it all again slip away.

It was only the Rangers' 1st championship in 54 years and their most recent one to date. The aforementioned "curse" came from the prior title team just before WWII broke out, where the Rangers organization decided to burn off the mortgage papers for the old MSG right in the bowl of the Cup. That desecration subsequently angered the hockey gods, and New York wouldn't taste another Cup for 5+ decades, instead watching their crosstown rival Islanders win it 3 straight times in the 1980s before the Blueshirts got their hands back on it.

"HE SCORES! HE SCORES! RANGERS! RANGERS! RANGERS WIN!!"- 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs 1st Round, Game 7 vs. Penguins

There is a reason Artemi Panarin is known as the Breadman- he delivers, and he delivered big in the Rangers' 2022 1st round playoff clash with division rivals Pittsburgh. Game 7 at MSG saw the two teams deadlocked at 3 apiece until roughly 5 minutes into the 4th 20-minute period, Panarin lasered a wrister from the blue line past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry to advance New York to the 2nd round. Game over. Series over. New York had done several battles with the Penguins over the years, but this was one of the most heart-stopping moments. And it wasn't the first series ending OT at the Garden either, just a few years after Derek Stephan's OT heroics in Game 7 vs the Capitals in the 2015 1st round.

Panarin is like many of the Rangers' stars, even as he's approaching the end of his career at 32 years old. He's still got it, and the Rangers do as well, with plenty of young talent to spare. Never underestimate the Breadman, folks. He'll bake your team like nobody's business before you even know it.

"Up the middle, Zibanejad! He goes to the net- he SCORES! HE SCORES! The Rangers win! Mika Zibanejad! With FIVE GOALS!

This one speaks to me, personally. Not only did Zibanejad, the most dynamic player on the Rangers' roster today, join the very exclusive 5 goals in a game club, he did it in sudden death overtime. And he shares my birthday, April 18 to boot. Rosen was honestly as happy as Mika looked whenever he scored any of his 5 goals that night. Not many players can have that many goals in 1 game and make the last one the most prominent. Mika is a different breed, though- that Swedish blood was cranking full throttle, and Mika himself knows about scoring iconic goals- he won his native Sweden the gold in the 2012 WJC final game! Also in overtime!

Other notable calls by Rosen include the always-mentioned, "It's a POWER PLAY goal!!" whenever a Ranger scores on the man advantage. That really never gets old! Rosen always keeps the energy up when he's calling games, and the delivery of that line is as old as time. Whether it's Adam Fox, Zibanejad, where the phrase originated, or Artemi Panarin, no other play-by-play commentator across the NHL has such a unique catchphrase. And while it may be a little sad that Rosen will only see 1 Rangers championship team in his career, the one in question may as well have been more than enough to satisfy him.

There have been many iconic NHL broadcasters over the years, from Rick Jeanneret in Buffalo to Mike Emrick for NBC Sports and Gord Miller for Sportsnet, and soon enough, ESPN's Bob Wischusen, but none quite compare to Rosen in longevity and the vast number of calls that all hockey fans, not just Rangers fans, will remember. The last few years have seen many iconic broadcasters hanging up their headsets. Here's to a fantastic career from Mr. Rosen after an astonishing 40 years of service!