“Mistakes are not acceptable. Not that anybody is standing there and hitting you over the head if you make a mistake, but you have to strive for perfection,” the iconic Sam Rosen said about himself and partner Joe Micheletti in 2022. That’s the standard the broadcasting duo held themselves to in the booth for 19 straight seasons. Yet, now barely a month after Rosen, Micheletti, the other household name when it came to hockey in New York, won’t pick up the mic again for the next season.

Yes! You read that right. The 70-year-old Rangers broadcasting veteran took the tough decision to step down from the announcer’s booth just a year short of two decades as a familiar voice during Rangers games. Yet, the news was a bittersweet one for the fans. NYR fans had barely recovered since Micheletti’s announcing partner retired when the veteran voice of the Rangers dropped the update. So it’s no wonder they mentioned how the Minnesota native and Rosen’s departure will forever change the soundtrack of every Rangers’ game.

“This hurts. Hate to lose Joe too,” commented one fan, highlighting how the iconic duo will no longer deliver their unique insights come the 2025-26 NHL season. Yet, fans didn’t want Joe Micheletti’s farewell to be gloomy. “But congrats on the retirement. You deserve it. God bless,” commented one New York Rangers fan, congratulating the announcer on a stellar career.

You may be wondering if Micheletti stepped down because his partner, Sam Rosen, will no longer be in the booth with him. While that may be partly true, the veteran announcer revealed that he had been thinking of giving up the mic for a while. “My wife Kathy and I have been thinking about this for a few years,” the 70-year-old explained in his official statement.

“We decided that now is the right time to retire, and we look forward to spending more time with our family,” Joe Micheletti added in the statement that the MSG network shared on X. To say the fans were sad to see the sudden announcement would be an understatement. And while they congratulated the hockey announcer on his iconic career, they also had one last ask of him.

Joe Micheletti’s fans don’t want it to end like this

Many New York Rangers’ fans were in absolute disbelief. “Say it ain’t so. I’m going to miss Joe,” a netizen commented on the retirement post. “Thank you, Joe, for the memories. Enjoy retirement,” the individual added in the heartwarming farewell. Meanwhile, another fan revealed exactly why the fan base became so emotional after learning about Micheletti’s retirement.

“No! Joe was the best,” wrote one fan while recounting an anecdote that revealed that Joe Micheletti wasn’t just a great announcer, but also a great human being. “I met him in Detroit during the Stanley Cup finals reception at the Marriott in the Renaissance Center. Spoke to me for about 10 minutes and another 10 when he was leaving. Great guy!” added the fan, revealing that ego and fame weren’t a problem the renowned announcer had.

MSG Networks president and CEO Andrea Greenberg echoed that sentiment. “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,” said Greenberg about the former St. Louis Blues defenseman turned announcer. Yet, this is not the goodbye the New York Rangers’ fan base envisioned for their beloved announcer.

“A completely new commentary team. End of an era. Fitting Sam and Joe go out together!” commented one fan, but also wished that the New Rangers would do something to honor the announcer. “Wish he got his send-off that final game just like Sam,” commented the fan. Just like the Washington Capitals organized a special ceremony for Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, the Rangers did the same for Sam Rosen in March.

“I’m a little nervous about it to be the center of attention here in this building, a building that I’ve been coming to since it opened in ’68 when we had the gondola as our broadcast location,” said Rosen as fans packed the stands at Madison Square Garden. In fact, Joe Micheletti was an integral part of the emotional farewell.

Rosen’s broadcasting partner presented him with a Rangers home jersey with the No. 40 and ROSEN on the back. Rosen’s broadcasting partner presented him with a Rangers home jersey with the No. 40 and ROSEN on the back. What’s more? The whole NYR roster put their signature on the jersey.

Naturally, fans don’t want Micheletti to miss out just because New York’s sombre season-end as they failed to qualify for the NHL playoffs. “I hope we can give him a night next season. Joe deserves his kudos and cheers from the fans,” commented one hopeful fan. The question is: Will the New York Rangers heed the fans’ demand? It seems only time will tell.

Don’t you want to hear Joe Micheletti one last time as the Rangers’ voice, to relive that decades long legacy? Let us know in the comments.