John Amirante was so much more than someone who sang the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden. In a way, he was the New York Rangers.
The song was written in 1940 as a tribute to the Ranger team that won the Stanley Cup in the 1939-40 season. The song was written by J. Fred Coots and dedicated to Lester Park and the New York Rangers organization.
Amirante heard the song in 1992 and instantly knew that he had to sing it. He would perform it as part of a pre-game segment. Like Al Trautwig said prior to the broadcast, there is/was no other person best suited to sing that song.