Story Summary
Dave Starman has found a way to combine two demanding careers: serving as radio analyst for the New York Rangers while acting as chief operating officer of Autotap Corporation, the Brooklyn fountain-beverage business founded by his great-grandfather Joseph in 1900.
The 58-year-old describes both jobs as work he loves. His Rangers role arrived after CBS Sports Network ended its college hockey coverage in March 2025, closing the chapter on Starman’s 22 years as a college hockey analyst. He approached Kenny Albert about the vacant Rangers radio analyst position, was put in touch with MSG Networks senior coordinating producer Kevin Meininger and ultimately landed what he called a “million-to-one shot”.
Nearly 100 games into the opportunity, Starman is still balancing broadcasts, road travel, family life and the daily obligations of Autotap. He supervises sales, service and installation of fountain beverage equipment along with soda, beer and wine systems, oversees 10 delivery-route trucks across the city and answers customer emails himself.
His route to the Rangers booth was built over decades. A lifelong Rangers supporter and former goaltender, Starman played for the Greater New York Stars and the University of Hartford before moving into youth coaching and then television analysis. The latest role has brought him to the NHL microphone while retaining a direct connection to a business that has been in his family for generations.
Key Facts
- Dave Starman is the radio analyst for the New York Rangers and chief operating officer of Autotap Corporation.
- Autotap was started by Starman’s great-grandfather Joseph in 1900 and incorporated in 1925.
- Starman supervises sales, service and installation of fountain beverage equipment, soda, beer and wine systems at Autotap.
- Starman oversees 10 trucks handling delivery routes throughout the city and personally answers every customer email.
- Starman played goal for the Greater New York Stars and later the University of Hartford.
- He coached a youth hockey team in Connecticut before spending 22 years as a college hockey analyst on CSTV and later CBS Sports Network.
- CBS Sports Network ended its college hockey coverage in March 2025.
- Starman contacted Kenny Albert about the open Rangers radio analyst job and was referred to MSG Networks senior coordinating producer Kevin Meininger.
- Starman met his wife, Shireen, at an officiating seminar in 2007, and they later became the only husband-and-wife team on the same on-air sports crew at CBS Sports Network.
- Dave and Shireen Starman have two sons, Jared and Ryan.
IHM Discussion
Starman’s Rangers appointment is more than a change of broadcasting platform. It is the continuation of a hockey life that began in goal, moved through coaching and college analysis, and remained active when a long-running television assignment ended.
The timing matters. Losing college hockey coverage could have left an experienced analyst without a regular outlet, yet Starman pursued an opening in a different part of the game and a different broadcasting environment. Albert’s recollection of Starman travelling to American Hockey League rinks to work alongside him from 1990 to 1992 gives the current role a longer history than a simple application and hire.
There is also an unusual practical dimension to the story. Starman has not exchanged one full-time focus for another. He is continuing with the responsibilities of an established family company while preparing Rangers broadcasts, travelling and maintaining a home life with Shireen and their sons. That makes the achievement less about a single career milestone than about sustaining several commitments at once.
Why It Matters
NHL broadcasts depend on analysts who can add recognition, context and clear explanation at speed. Starman brings a background that includes playing goal, coaching and more than two decades covering college hockey, while his Rangers attachment stretches back to childhood.
His path also shows how much persistence can sit behind an apparently sudden opportunity. Starman’s prior work with Albert and Meininger, together with years spent developing his analysis, created connections and experience that became relevant when the Rangers radio vacancy emerged.
Away from the rink, Autotap remains a substantial responsibility rather than a ceremonial family title. The company’s customer-facing work, service systems and delivery operations continue alongside the NHL schedule, making Starman’s day-to-day routine distinctly different from that of a broadcaster focused solely on game coverage.
Mini Q&A
What is Dave Starman’s role with the New York Rangers?
Dave Starman is the New York Rangers’ radio analyst.
What does Dave Starman do outside hockey?
He is chief operating officer of Autotap Corporation, a Brooklyn fountain-beverage service business founded by his great-grandfather.
How did Starman reach the Rangers radio booth?
After CBS Sports Network ended college hockey coverage in March 2025, Starman contacted Kenny Albert about the opening and was referred to MSG Networks senior coordinating producer Kevin Meininger.
What is Starman’s hockey background?
He played goal for the Greater New York Stars and the University of Hartford, coached youth hockey in Connecticut and worked for 22 years as a college hockey analyst.
Coach Mark Comment
The part that catches the eye is Starman answering every customer email himself while preparing for Rangers broadcasts. That is a demanding habit to carry into a schedule shaped by road trips, practice coverage and late nights, but it explains why the two careers sit together rather than competing for his attention.
A hockey broadcast can turn on a detail noticed in a few seconds. Running a service business asks for the same readiness to deal with the next call, the next problem or the next person who needs an answer. Starman’s workload is remarkable, but the personal touch in both places is what gives it its character.
IHM Final View
Dave Starman’s Rangers role represents a long-sought NHL opportunity, but it does not stand apart from the rest of his life. It is connected to his years as a goaltender, coach and analyst, to professional relationships built early in his career, and to the family business he continues to help run.
Nearly 100 games into the job, Starman’s delight remains clear. His story is one of preparation meeting an opening, with the demands of the Rangers booth and Autotap’s daily operations both still firmly in view.