Ryan Callahan is done at ESPN.
The former New York Rangers captain announced on Tuesday that he’s stepping away from the network after four years to spend more time with his family. Callahan broke the news on social media as the NHL season kicked off.
“For all those asking, I am taking a step away from ESPN this year,” Callahan wrote. “It has been a great four years with the worldwide leader in sports. I’m going to miss working with all the great people there, but I wanted to spend more time with my young family. Excited to tune in tonight to see the start of what should be another great NHL season!”
For all those asking, I am taking a step away from ESPN this year. It has been a great four years with the worldwide leader in sports. I’m going to miss working with all the great people there, but I wanted to spend more time with my young family. Excited to tune in tonight to…
— Ryan Callahan (@TheRealCally24) October 7, 2025
Callahan’s exit was telegraphed earlier this month when ESPN announced contract extensions for Bob Wischusen, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, P.K. Subban, Kevin Weekes, and Leah Hextall. Callahan wasn’t on that list. The network did bring in T.J. Oshie after he retired in June, adding another former player to the mix.
Callahan joined ESPN in 2021, when the network revived its NHL coverage. He handled both game analysis and studio work, often appearing alongside Wischusen on broadcasts and contributing during the playoffs.
Before ESPN, Callahan got his broadcasting start at NHL Network in 2019, just after wrapping up a 13-year NHL career with the Rangers and Lightning. He captained the Rangers from 2011-14 and was the first New York native to wear the C in franchise history. He won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and competed again in Sochi in 2014.
Whether Callahan shows up on another network down the line or this is it for his broadcasting career remains unclear. For now, he’s choosing family over the booth.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.