The unforgettable impact of Sam Rosen at Madison Square Garden

City and Stadium highlight week continues at NHL FanSided, and we are looking at how Madison Square Garden is the home of the New York Rangers. Here's why Sam Rosen was a key part of a fan's typical MSG experience.
Vancouver Canucks v New York Rangers
Vancouver Canucks v New York Rangers | Sarah Stier/GettyImages

During his heyday, Sam Rosen was someone who was an ambassador for the New York Rangers and was always around willing to talk to fans and take pictures around Madison Square Garden.

Plain and simple — Rosen was crucial to MSG because he was the voice of the Rangers for nearly four decades. Over the years there have been different color commentary analysts part of the broadcast, but Rosen was a constant behind the microphone doing play by play. The Garden was his stage and ever since joining the Rangers' broadcast team back in the 1980s, he's called thousands of games including legendary moments such as the 1994 Stanley Cup win.

But Rosen's important to MSG goes just beyond calling play-by-play.

Why Rosen is forever a part of the Madison Square Garden brand

Rosen was fixed into a part of Rangers' culture and has been one of the most enduring broadcasters in the entire sports history of New York. His voice is forever attached to some of the greatest events in MSG, from playoff wins to historic individual performances.

Furthermore, many Rangers fans grew up hearing Rosen's broadcasts, forever tying his voice to peoples' personal memories of The Garden.

Additionally, the Madison Square Garden Network has used Rosen as a trusted and recognizable face and voice in helping them shape the identity of MSG's hockey coverage.

Finally — In 2016, Rosen received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster, cementing his legacy as part of MSG’s lore.

Without Sam Rosen, MSG wouldn't be the same

Rosen’s broadcasting style meshes perfectly with the Madison Square Garden atmosphere because it mirrors what MSG in itself represents — energy, drama, history and a little bit of New York flair.

Without Rosen, the "soundtrack" of New York Rangers and hockey at the World's Most Famous Arena simply wouldn't be the same.