Sam Rosen was moved as a tearful Andy Murray addressed the crowd following the final Wimbledon appearance of his accomplished tennis career.

The emotional scene struck a chord.

"(Murray) said, ‘My heart says I want to do this forever, but my head says I can’t.’ That basically is what it comes down to," Rosen told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, by phone Wednesday.

The New City, NY resident has come to the same realization about his own broadcasting career.

With his 40th season as the voice of the New York Rangers approaching, Rosen has determined it will also be his last.

"I would say the last couple of years, it's been in the back of my mind," he said. "The reality is, as you get a little older, you think about these things. You say, ‘Okay, what do you need to do?’ You need to spend a little more time with the family. You want to make sure that you're around. You want to make sure you're staying healthy. You want to do things that maybe you haven't had the opportunity to do in the past."

Quality time with his wife, Jill, two sons and four grandchildren is a top priority, with Rosen especially excited to watch his grandson, Michael, play his senior baseball season at Clarkstown North High this spring. But the 77-year-old acknowledged another motivating factor in his decision.

"The other thing, maybe a little selfishly or egotistically, is you want to go out on top," he said. "You want people to remember that you were still at your best when you stepped aside. I think that's really important."

How it started

Rosen has shaped generations of Rangers fans with his emphatic calls.

"It's a power-play goal!" will live on in the memories of those who have watched him on MSG Networks over the years, as will his famous "This one will last a lifetime!" line when the Blueshirts last won the Stanley Cup in 1994.

His unending passion for the team stems from a sports-crazed childhood in Brooklyn.

Rosen is the son of Jewish immigrants who escaped Poland just before the Nazis invaded in 1939 and landed in Russia, where his father, Louis, worked as a tailor for the Russian Army. They ended up in West Germany after World War II before making their way to the U.S. when Sam was just 2 years old in 1949.

He soon latched onto his new hometown teams − Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Rangers.

"My parents didn't worry about our getting on the subway on a Sunday, going to Madison Square Garden, getting to see the Rangers, and then coming home at night," he recalled. "We had friends in the neighborhood. We were all fans. It was a great time."

Baseball was Rosen's early favorite, and he turned out to be a pretty good player. He captained teams at Stuyvesant High School and City College of New York but saw his dream of playing in the majors fade after college.

"The next best thing was broadcasting," he said.

All those days carrying his radio around Brooklyn set the stage. Legendary play-by-play men such as Mel Allen, Red Barber and Marty Glickman made lasting impressions, but it was a special connection with Rangers broadcaster Jim Gordon that groomed Rosen for his future role.

"He was the man that introduced me to the people at Madison Square Garden," Rosen said. "He was my predecessor, my mentor, and the man who influenced me so much in my career."

'The fans have been the most inspiring'

Rosen began at MSG Networks in 1977, just four years after moving to New City, and worked his way up to become the full-time play-by-play announcer by 1984. He's spent the last 40 years working with only three partners − first Phil Esposito, then 20 years with John Davidson, before joining forces with current analyst Joe Micheletti in 2006. He covered a variety of other sports along the way, including football, baseball, basketball and boxing.

Hockey became his calling card − "I've always said to people, when you go to a hockey game live and in person, you come away loving the sport," he said − and his enthusiasm shined through.

Along the way, Rosen's personal touch has endeared him to both fans and the people he's covered. He attends almost every practice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown − an old-school work ethic that's far from a given in today's broadcasting rat race − and takes time to get to know each player. He's often met with wide smiles and firm handshakes before sitting down to peel back the layers.

"It's the players that make it so special," Rosen said. "It's great to observe them in the locker room. … They're playing at the highest level in the world, and they all have a story on how they got here. For me, it's always interesting to sit down and talk with them − find out about their families and find out where they played. That's really one of the most rewarding things."

Rosen prides himself on relaying those stories through the broadcasts, with that intimate knowledge deepening fans' connections to the players they're rooting for. It's also drawn them closer to Rosen, who's been a comforting fixture in their living rooms for four decades.

That bond spills over at arenas across the NHL, where Rosen receives rockstar treatment and greets every overture with humility and warmth.

"The fans have been the most inspiring," he said. "When I walk out of the building or when we're on the road, I think one of the most rewarding things for me is when you see a father and mother come up with their children and say, ‘You know, my father had season tickets at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers, and now I go to all the games, and I bring the kids.’ And you see the kids, and they're 8, 9, 10 years old, and they're into it. They're wearing their Rangers jersey, and the parents will say, ‘That's the man you see on TV, the Rangers announcer!’ And the kids get so excited. The ability to pass on the love of the sport – the love of the team – from generation to generation is so rewarding. It's hard to put into words."

Fans will get to express their gratitude one final time this season, which Rosen is hoping will stretch well into the playoffs once again. He's relishing the chance to "say goodbye to a lot of friends that I've made through the years" before switching over to the other side of the TV.

You can be sure he'll continue watching the Blueshirts in retirement, along with his beloved Yankees and NFL Sundays, while also enjoying some well-deserved family time.

For 40 years, he's been a central figure in the Rangers family.

"It’s been a dream come true," he said. "This is a transient business. People move around looking for the opportunities. Some people have gained their success moving from New York to California or to Texas, or wherever the job opportunity would take them. The years that people have worked in the minor leagues. I've had the good fortune of being able to spend most of my life at home in New York and be able to work for the teams that I've loved."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: One-on-one with Sam Rosen: Rangers broadcaster on decision to retire