Personalities

9 personalities

Kenny Albert

RADIO PLAY-BY-PLAY

A two-time nominee for a National Sports Emmy Award in the play-by-play category, Kenny Albert serves as the radio voice of the Rangers. Albert is also the lead play-by-play announcer for the NHL on Turner Sports, as well as a play-by-play broadcaster for the NFL on FOX.

Previously, while at NBC, Albert called the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the NHL’s Western Conference Final series from 2014 through 2020, as well as Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. The only play-by-play broadcaster to call all four major sports over the last decade, Albert has also called hockey at the last five Winter Olympics (including the men’s and women’s gold medal hockey games in 2018), as well as the 2016 (Track and Field) and 2020 (Volleyball and Baseball) Summer Olympics for NBC.

He has been at the mic for five NFC Divisional playoff games, the 2007 and 2009 Sugar Bowls, 2008 Orange Bowl, 2008 Pro Bowl and 2011 Cotton Bowl for FOX; the “world feed” of Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012; Knicks games on MSG Network; and Premier Boxing Champions on both NBC and FOX.

Throughout his career, Albert has also called Major League Baseball on various FOX networks, including five postseason Division Series. Additionally, Albert called the Stanley Cup Final on NHL Radio/Westwood One seven times (1994, 1995 and 2016-2020), two NHL All-Star Games on Westwood One, as well as five seasons of the NHL on FOX (1995-99). He has also called NHL regular season and playoff games on ESPN2, OLN, Versus, NBCSN and NBC. From 1992-95, Albert was the television voice of the Washington Capitals following two seasons as radio voice of the American Hockey League’s Baltimore Skipjacks.

He lives in New Jersey with wife Barbara and daughters Amanda and Sydney.

Mike Breen

KNICKS PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER

The signature voice of the NBA, Mike Breen is the lead play-by-play announcer for New York Knicks telecasts on MSG Networks alongside Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier. The Hall of Fame duo first started calling Knicks games together on the radio in 1991 and have been part of MSG Networks’ telecasts since 1998. Breen is also the lead play-by-play voice for the NBA on ABC and ESPN, where he has called more NBA Finals than any other announcer in league history.

 

Breen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as the recipient of the 2020 Curt Gowdy Media Award, an annual award given to outstanding achievements in basketball writing and broadcasting. Throughout his career, he has also won eight New York Emmy Awards, including in 2009, 2014 and 2022 for sports play-by-play. And in 1998, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named Breen the “Broadcaster of the Year” in New York.

Shortly after graduating from Fordham University, Breen began his broadcasting career as a newscaster and sportscaster for WEOK/WPDH Radio in Poughkeepsie, NY. Soon after, he began working as a television commentator for Marist College basketball games on the Colony Sports Network, while also serving as analyst for Seton Hall basketball on the radio. Early in his career, Breen also worked as a play-by-play announcer for the NFL on NBC and FOX. He also covered the WNBA at NBC, as well as men’s and women’s basketball at the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Breen is involved in various charities, including St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, The Miracle Foundation and the Garden of Dreams Foundation. He is also a running enthusiast and has completed three New York City Marathons. Breen and his wife Rosanne live on Long Island and have three children – Michael, Matthew, and Nicole.

Ken Daneyko

DEVILS ANALYST

Ken Daneyko was named the New Jersey Devils in-game analyst in September of 2014 after spending eight seasons as a studio analyst for the team. Since joining MSG Networks in 2006, Daneyko has played a vital role in Devils hockey offering his insights from the studio.

Nicknamed “Mr. Devil,” Daneyko spent his entire career in New Jersey where he won three Stanley Cups. He set a franchise record with 1,283 regular season games, and played in 175 playoff games second to Martin Brodeur. Daneyko appeared in every Devils post season game from 1988 until Game 4 of the 2003 quarterfinals when his 165 game streak was snapped. Daneyko closed out the ’02-’03 season, and his career, with 36 goals, 142 assists and 2,516 penalty minutes.

The Devils paid tribute to Daneyko in 2006 when they retired his #3 jersey, making him one of four players in the team’s history to be awarded the distinction along with defensemen Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Martin Brodeur. He continues to serve as an alumni representative for the team.

Daneyko was drafted by the Devils with the 18th pick of the 1982 draft, the same year the team moved east from Colorado. He spent his first few seasons between the Devils, the AHL and WHL before earning a full-time roster spot with the Devils in 1985.

Daneyko has been recognized with awards from numerous organizations throughout his career. The Devils awarded him with the Unsung Hero Award in 1986 and in 1989 with the Good Guy Award. In 2000, Daneyko was honored with the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Daneyko dedicates time to his annual golf outing in Somerville, New Jersey to help benefit the Center for Great Expectations.

Daneyko currently lives in New Jersey with his wife Margaret and has two children, daughter Taylor Lyn and son Shane.

Walt "Clyde" Frazier

KNICKS ANALYST

New York icon and basketball legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier serves as the Knicks television analyst on MSG Networks, alongside nationally recognized and Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Mike Breen.

The former Knicks star began his broadcasting career at MSG Networks in 1987, first in radio and then on television. He started his television career shortly after retiring in 1980, serving as an NBA analyst for TBS in 1981, where he broadcasted Hawks games in his hometown of Atlanta.

Frazier played in New York for 10 years, averaging 19.3 points per game, and helped the Knicks capture two NBA Championships (1969-70 and 1972-73). He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986, along with Rick Barry and the late “Pistol” Pete Maravich.

In 2022, Frazier was inducted again into the Hall of Fame after receiving the prestigious Curt Gowdy Award, an annual award given to outstanding achievements in basketball writing and broadcasting. Now a two-time Hall of Famer, Frazier holds the impressive distinction of being the first individual to go into the Hall of Fame as both a player and broadcaster. Since joining MSG Networks, Frazier has also been honored with a number of New York Emmy Awards for his work covering the Knicks.

Frazier was nicknamed “Clyde” by former Knicks backup center Nate Bowman who thought his stylish hats and smooth talk likened him to Warren Beatty’s character in the movie “Bonnie and Clyde.” Frazier brings an innovative approach to the broadcasting booth by using an array of rhymes and a very impressive vocabulary during telecasts. He carries a dictionary in his pocket and is often found reading it when traveling with the team.

After leading Southern Illinois to a National Invitation Tournament Championship in 1967, Frazier was drafted by the Knicks in the first round of the NBA Draft that same year. Throughout his storied playing career, he was named to the NBA’s All-Star Team seven times. He played three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1977-78 to 1979-80 before officially retiring. Frazier was the Knicks all-time leading scorer until Patrick Ewing broke his record for career points during the 1993-94 season. He is especially remembered for his inspirational performance in the seventh and deciding game of the thrilling 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers when he scored an astounding 36 points and had 19 assists to lead the Knicks franchise to its first NBA championship.

Frazier’s uniform number (10) was formally retired to the Madison Square Garden rafters on December 15, 1979. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, as part of the league’s Golden Anniversary. He was then named to the NBA’s 75 greatest players list as part of the league’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2021. Frazier is also a member of the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame and the Georgia Hall of Fame. His college uniform number (52) has been retired by Southern Illinois University.

Since he began his Knicks career in 1967, Frazier has been a staple of the New York community and continues to be an integral part of the city’s sports scene. Often seen signing autographs at Madison Square Garden, he continues to give back to New York City, making numerous appearances every year on behalf of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which aids New York area kids in crisis. In 1996, Frazier opened The Walt Frazier Youth Foundation, an organization that helps inner-city high school students’ gain the hope needed to achieve their full potential.

Frazier lives in Manhattan, but spends a great deal of time in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands where he owns a bed and breakfast. He also enjoys gardening, jogging, sailing and reading the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times. He has one son, Walt III, and one daughter, Angel.

John Giannone

John Giannone currently serves as a studio host and reporter for Rangers telecasts on MSG Networks. Since joining MSG Networks in 2002, Giannone has worked in several different roles including play-by-play, host, anchor and reporter for a variety of games and programs. He has received a total of six Emmy Awards for his role in the network’s coverage of the Rangers over the years, most recently in 2021 in the ‘Talent: Sports Anchor’ category. Prior to joining MSG Networks, Giannone was a field reporter for CNN and spent nine years as a sportswriter covering the Islanders, Jets, Giants, and Mets for the NY Post and the Mets, Rangers and Yankees for the Daily News.

Alan Hahn

Alan Hahn currently serves as a studio analyst for Knicks telecasts on MSG Networks. He also co-hosts the ‘Bart & Hahn Show’ on ESPN Radio, alongside former NFL linebacker Bart Scott.

Prior to joining MSG Networks, Hahn spent 16 years as a writer at Newsday, where he covered every major professional sports team in the New York area, including five seasons as the Knicks beat reporter. He also previously served as an Islanders reporter and NHL writer.

Hahn is an accomplished author with five published books: Fish Sticks: The Fall and Rise of the New York Islanders (Sports Publishing LLC), 2003; Birth of a Dynasty: The 1980 New York Islanders (Sports Publishing LLC), 2004; and Bruin Redemption: The Stanley Cup Returns to Boston (F+W Media), 2011, 100 Things a Knicks Fan Should Know and Do Before They Die (Benchmark) and The New York Knicks: The Complete Illustrated History (MVP Books) in 2012.

Dave Maloney

Former New York Rangers captain and defenseman Dave Maloney serves as an analyst for Rangers games on ESPN 98.7 radio. He also contributes to MSG Networks’ television coverage during the season. At the age of 18, Maloney became the youngest player in Rangers history when he played his first game on December 18, 1974. And in 1978, he became the youngest player ever to be named Rangers captain. After a decade in the NHL, Maloney took his first step into broadcasting by joining the Rangers radio crew while recovering from an injury during the 1984-85 season. He officially traded in his skates for a mic following the season and worked several broadcasting jobs in the years to follow, including with CTV in Canada, the Minnesota North Stars and Sports Channel.

Bill Pidto

Bill Pidto currently serves as a studio host for New York Knicks telecasts on MSG Networks, as well as host of the New York Emmy Award-winning ‘MSG 150’ that airs during Knicks and Rangers games.

During his time at MSG Networks, Pidto has also previously served as a studio host for Rangers telecasts and as host of a weeknight talk show, an expanded version of the ‘MSG 150’. In 2021, he won a New York Emmy Award for best sports anchor.

Prior to joining MSG Networks, Pidto was an anchor at ESPN from 1993 to 2008, where he hosted programs such as ‘SportsCenter,’ ‘NHL 2Night,’ ‘NFL Primetime,’ ‘Baseball Tonight’ and ‘SportsSmash’ in the inaugural year of ESPN2.

Pidto’s early broadcasting experience includes stints with New England Cable News and local stations in New York including WBNG-TV in Binghamton, WSTM-TV in Syracuse and WVBR-FM radio in Ithaca. He graduated from Cornell University in 1987.

Wally Szczerbiak

Wally Szczerbiak currently serves as a studio analyst for New York Knicks telecasts on MSG Networks, appearing on all Knicks pregame, postgame and halftime shows. He also serves as a studio analyst for CBS Sports’ college basketball coverage.

Szczerbiak was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Throughout his 10-year NBA career, he also played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle Supersonics and Cleveland Cavaliers. While with Minnesota, he was named to the 2002 Western Conference All-Star team.

A Long Island native, Szczerbiak played college basketball at Miami University in Ohio. During his senior season, he was named MAC Player of the Year and led the Redhawks to the Sweet 16 in the 1999 NCAA tournament.

Szczerbiak is a contributor to the Boomer Esiason Foundation for cystic fibrosis research, the Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation for cancer research and the Cold Spring Harbor Foundation.