Sam Rosen receives extended tribute by Rangers in his final game after 40 years as TV play-by-play man

The Rangers and MSG Networks turned the team’s season finale on Thursday night into an extended tribute to Sam Rosen — and the feeling was mutual.

“A great way to go out, a 4-0 Rangers win [over the Lightning],” Rosen said as he marked the end of a 40-year run as the team’s TV play-by-play voice.

Then he turned to analyst Joe Micheletti and said, “Joe, thank you, thank you for everything. What a great night.

“And to all of our crew and everyone I’ve worked with here at Madison Square Garden Networks: Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

Rosen announced last August that this would be his final season, and he has been feted by teams and fans around the league throughout the fall, winter and spring.

On Thursday night, it was the Garden’s turn to put a bow on the celebration, and with the Rangers out of playoff contention, it was easier to focus squarely on Rosen.

During warmups, Rangers players wore Rosen’s name and No. 40 jerseys — to mark his years in the booth — as well as a patch commemorating his signature call: “It’s a power-play goal!”

“Wow, wow, wow,” Rosen said on the pregame show. “It’s surreal, it really is. It’s absolutely surreal . . . Here they are honoring me for doing something that I’ve loved to do every single time that the microphone has been open and the camera has gone on.

“They’re honoring me. I can’t say enough about it. I can’t thank them enough.”

Throughout the game, MSG often showed Rosen and Micheletti at work in the booth with an inset alongside the game action.

Early in the third period, Rosen said, “This career has been so much about the great people that I’ve met, in the sport, in the business, whatever it is, I’ve met so many great people that I’ve met, that I care about, that I’ll try and stay in touch with. It’s been a marvelous career.

“It’s been a wonderful time and wonderful career and I can’t regret any bit of it. It’s been special.”

Rosen was honored on the video board midway through the third period and blew kisses to the crowd as a “Sam Rosen” chant arose.

Players from both teams tapped their sticks in tribute.

“It has been unimaginable how lucky, how fortunate I’ve been to watch these great, great players,” Rosen said.

Micheletti said, “I want to thank you for what you’ve done for me as a person, what you’ve done for me in my career.”

As Micheletti spoke, Mika Zibanejad scored a goal. “How dare you interrupt me!” Micheletti jokingly said.

Said Rosen, “To the fans watching, a big, big thank you. You’ve made this all possible — your support, your love, your enjoyment of what I’ve been able to do with [analysts] Phil Esposito, with John Davidson, with Joe, there’s nothing that can compare.

“And for all the fans, and I know I’ve gotten through a couple of generations, fathers, sons, grandchildren have become Rangers fans, and I’m proud to say that I’ve had something to do with that, and I’m very happy with what we’ve done, Joe, and what I’ve done in these 40 years.”

Rosen later said, “To the fans out there, thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and it’s been an honor and a privilege to call the games of the team that I grew up with and that I grew up cheering for and coming to the old Madison Square Garden and this Madison Square Garden to watch this team play . . . Special, special for me, and I thank everyone involved.”

Rosen will be succeeded by Kenny Albert, who has been the Rangers’ primary radio play-by-play man since 1995.

“I wish Kenny Albert all success,” Rosen said. “He is a great person and a great announcer and it is something that he deserves and has earned. He’s been around the Rangers his entire life.”

Another Rosen chant began in the final minute. When it was over, Rosen was named the No. 1 star of the game.

“What a night, what a night,” he said. “A night to remember. And I can’t thank the Rangers' organization and MSG Networks enough for making this so special for me.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.