Come October, Rangers fans are expecting, or at least hoping, to see a completely revamped locker room. It's too early to judge whether that's truly coming to fruition, but one thing that's for certain next season is a completely revamped broadcast booth.
Exactly two weeks after beloved play by play announcer Sam Rosen officially signed off on his 40-year career, long-time partner in the box and color commentator Joe Micheletti, announced his own retirement. In a statement released by MSG Networks, a 70-year-old Micheletti admitted retirement had been on his mind for quite some time, but called his own four-decade journey from professional hockey player, to coach, to broadcaster a "magical ride."
"This career has been so special because of the amazing people that I’ve worked with at every stop along the way. Thank you to my remarkable family at MSG Networks, to the Rangers organization, and to all the teams that allowed me to do what I love for 40 years."Joe Micheletti
Micheletti stepped into the Rangers' TV booth back in 2006, after John Davidson left the post to become Team President of the St. Louis Blues. Davidson, a former Ranger and veteran broadcaster himself, was as large a fan favorite then as Sam Rosen has been this season. Micheletti was immediately tasked with filling impossibly big shoes, and yet, that's really what he did. He substituted Davidson's sunny disposition and boisterous attitude with a style that was equally sunny but usually favored a calmer, gentler tone in the delivery of his expertise. It was a complimentary style to JD's and allowed the spotlight to shift to Rosen permanently. Though, if that bothered him even a little bit, Joe never once showed it.
19 years later, Micheletti's departure stings as Davidson's did, just in a different way. As a teenage fan, whose passion for the sport and this franchise bloomed during its darkest stretch of the past three decades (1998-'05), Davidson's decision might've felt blunted by a life that had only ever experienced disappointment. It had its moment and then blended into the ether too quickly to leave a lasting impact on a 14-year-old with ADHD. Now, a fan in his mid-30's- chalk-full of memories both glorious and devastating- might see the sudden end of the Sam-and-Joe era as a somber reminder of the passage of time and all the things left unfinished.
Of course, I'm just talking about the Rangers and Rangers fandom here, to be clear. That's it, I swear.
But now we gaze, starry-eyed into the future! A bright future, if you look long enough! With that, comes the opportunity to create new icons to guide us through the next leg of the journey back to the holiest of grails. In the booth, one spot has already been settled. Taking over for Sam is another veteran broadcaster within the Rangers organization and a man who practically oozes personality and bravado...Kenny Albert. That felt like the right choice even before Sam decided to call it quits.
But who will take Joe's place? A few names are already being tossed around, all familiar to Rangers fans. One of the frontrunners is surely Albert's radio partner, Dave Maloney. That would certainly bring an...
...energy...
...to the broadcast that TV viewers haven't experienced in quite some time, or ever, possibly.
Other names in early reports include former Rangers captain Ryan Callahan, currently at ESPN, a choice that would certainly double down on the vibe already being brought in by Albert.
One other name thrown into the mix? Another former fan favorite on Broadway, Brian Boyle, who joined NHL Network a couple of years ago as a studio analyst, and appeared between the benches for a few games on MSG this season. Perhaps a personality somewhat in between the others. He also seems pretty smart! That could create a chance to develop the best of both Maloney and Callahan...or the worst.
Then there are the former Rangers greats who have built broader recognition in recent years, like Mark Messier in his current gig for ESPN's studio show, and Henrik Lundqvist's budding TV career on both MSG Network and TNT. Certainly the right face for television, at least. It's both unclear if either would be legitimately interested in the job and whether fans would immediately jump for joy at those prospects.