John Amirante, NY Rangers National Anthem Singer, Dies At 83

NEW YORK, NY — John Amirante, who sang the national anthem before New York Rangers games for 35 years, died Tuesday at the age of 83, the hockey team announced.

"It is with great sadness our Rangers family shares the loss of legendary anthem singer John Amirante, who passed away this morning at 83," the team said in a statement posted to social media. "Our thoughts are with his wife Ann, his children and the entire Amirante family. We will forever remember and miss John [at Madison Square Garden]."

Amirante's tenure as the Rangers' national anthem singer began in 1980 and lasted until his retirement in 2015. After his retirement, Amirante would occasionally return to sing the anthem during Rangers playoff games.

The singer was beloved by fans for his lively style of singing the anthem and his trademark Rangers-blue blazer. The singer performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" with a brisk pace, but would stretch out certain lines for emphasis, which would pump up the Madison Square Garden crowd.

One of Amirante's most memorable performances occurred during game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers attempted to break a 54-year championship drought.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images