Rangers broadcaster Joe Micheletti announces his retirement
Rangers play-by-play man Sam Rosen, left and analyst Joe Micheletti in the broadcast booth at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 23. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Rangers will have an entirely new television booth next season.
Analyst Joe Micheletti announced his retirement on Thursday, joining his longtime play-by-play partner, Sam Rosen, in leaving MSG Networks.
Micheletti, 70, had worked with Rosen on Rangers telecasts for 19 seasons after previously spending seven as an analyst for Islanders games.
“From pond hockey in Minnesota to the bright lights of Broadway, my hockey journey has been a magical ride,” he said in a news release. “My wife, Kathy, and I have been thinking about this for a few years and we decided that now is the right time to retire, and we look forward to spending more time with our family.
“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.”
MSG did not announce a replacement. One candidate figures to be Dave Maloney, longtime radio partner of Kenny Albert, who will succeed Rosen as lead TV play-by-play man next season.
Brian Boyle, who has done studio work for MSG, could be another option.
“Joe's experience as a player and coach, his good humor, his unparalleled preparation, his polished on-air skills, and his love of hockey combined to make him one of the hockey world's premier analysts," MSG Networks president Andrea Greenberg said in the news release.
"MSG Networks and its viewers have been lucky to have him for 27 years as part of our broadcast team, the last 19 as our Rangers TV analyst."
Micheletti also did national work, including Stanley Cup Finals, NHL All-Star Games and Winter Olympics.
He played three NHL seasons in the early 1980s as a defenseman for the Blues and Rockies, appearing in 158 games. He broadcast Blues and Stars games before joining the Islanders TV team in 1998.
“Throughout the time I was around Joe, either as a player or in a front office role, his knowledge of the game was only matched by his class and professionalism,” Rangers president and GM Chris Drury said in a statement. “I wish him and his family the best.”
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.
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