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Chico Resch, signing autographs for fans, has been the Devils' TV color analyst for 18 years.

(Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK— Glenn (Chico) Resch, the original face of the Devils when the franchise moved from Colorado to New Jersey in 1982, will give up his longstanding position as the team's TV color analyst after this season.

Resch, 65, announced Friday that he plans to retire and live full-time in Minnesota. In his 18 seasons as Devils color commentator Resch has never missed a game.

"It's really hard," Resch told The Star-Ledger. "This is a great job. I've been in the game for 42 years since I first went to the Islanders in 1972. When the Devils started way back in '82 I really thought this franchise would be special. I didn't know one day I'd be coming back to cover the good (Stanley Cup) years.

"I wanted to leave for the right reasons. Kenny Daneyko is anxious to jump in and my wife (Diane), who is close to her sister at home, said, 'Let's go.' I just realized this is the time to do it. I guess I don't want to overstay my welcome.

"I do appreciate my legacy but I also know there is a whole younger generation that didn’t really know me. They can kind of identify when their dad tells them. I think a more current player, and the Devils certainly have enough of those who’ve won championships, would probably be a little more pertinent to the broadcast. It would probably make the broadcast better.”

Resch was a goaltender for the Islanders, Colorado Rockies, Devils and Flyers between 1973-74 and 1986-87. A member if the Islanders' 1980 Stanley Cup championship team, he won 231 games with 26 shutouts during a successful playing career.

The Islanders traded him to the Rockies on March 10, 1981, along with Steve Tambellini for Mike McEwen and Jari Kaarela. When John McMullen purchased the Rockies in the summer of '82, Resch's prominent role with the team and his gift for communicating with the media and fans made him the face of the franchise when it moved to the Meadowlands for the 1982-83 season.

When his playing career was over, Resch became a goalie coach with the Flyers (1987-88), TV analyst and goalie coach for the Minnesota North Stars (1990-91) and GM-coach of the Tri-State Americans of the WHL (1991-92).

He spent four seasons with the Ottawa Senators as goalie coach and scout (1992-93 to 1995-96) before replacing Doug Sulliman as Devils TV color analyst in 1996-97. Sulliman had done the job for one season after succeeding Peter McNab.

"I said no the first time. I was still coaching in Ottawa not knowing I was going to be fired," Recsh said.

After losing his job in Ottawa, he got a second call and accepted. It would allow him to ful;full two childhood dreams.

"When I was a little kid I'd do two things. I'd knock a ball off my basement wall in the '50s and I'd make saves and think it would be nice to be a goalie in the NHL like Glenn Hall," Resch remembered.



"Then I'd get my friend over and we'd play tabletop hockey and I would announce the games. So I always had it in my mind maybe one of these things would work out. When your dream comes true like that, it's beyond fun.

"I think next to playing, it's a tossup between coaching and broadcasting. Coaches make more money, but earn every penny of it. Broadcasters get to stay around the game. I think about the core of four I covered-- Scotty (Stevens), Marty (Brodeur), Nieder (Scott Niedermayer and Dano.

"Doc (Emrick) would say: 'We never lose. We get to get in free. We get free food. We get to talk about the game and then we get a piece of paper with money on it. A check."

Resch recalled being kept in line by legendary director Joe O'Rourke.

"One of the rules was you have to watch the monitor. But I would forget," Resch said. "One night when I first started I'm watching the scoreboard screen at center ice instead of my monitor.

"On TV the players were just sitting on the bench, but I was describing this incredible play because I was watching the replay on the scoreboard. Joe yells (in his headset), 'You idiot. What are you watching?' "

Resch has been known for his humorous on-air comments and slip-ups and says he's been affectionately called the Devils' Phil Rizzuto. Listeners also liken him to Ralph Kiner.

"(Producer) Roland Dratch is like Al Arbour. I was terrible the first three years. It was painful to watch," Resch said. "I couldn't watch or listen to myself because it was just agonizing. Doc would keep encouraging me. And Roland.

"Every year for the first five years I was going to quit. I went home one Christmas, the second year, and said I am not going back. I was intimidated going into the locker rooms, having played. Then about the fifth or sixth year I was able to overcome that."

He had a lengthy on-air partnership with Mike (Doc) Emrick and is in his third season alongside Steve Cangialosi.

"Working with Doc was a real pleasure. It would be like playing wing on Wayne Gretzky's line. I knew that if I just stayed in position and didn't try to do too much, I would have a good career," Resch said.

Resch said the highlights were watching Martin Brodeur break so many records.

"Like scoring that goal and doing that vertical leap. The night he broke the all-time record and cutting the netting off," he said. "I guess I was kind of living another dream through Marty."