Longtime Pittsburgh Penguins television and radio broadcaster Mike Lange has died at the age of 76, the team announced Wednesday night.
The colorful Lange, who retired in 2021 after 46 years of calling Penguins games, received the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Award for outstanding broadcasting in 2001.
‘Mike Lange was a wordsmith — a magician behind the mic,’ the Penguins said in a statement. ‘The Californian quickly became a quintessential Pittsburgher, and his colorful calls and smooth cadence brought Penguins hockey to life.
‘The Hall of Famer’s voice is synonymous with the biggest calls in franchise history, including all five Stanley Cup Championships, and his unique one-liners and knack for anticipating game-changing plays set him apart from other announcers. Only Mike could make the biggest names in hockey seem even more magical with just his voice.’
The Penguins won championships in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016 and 2017 during his tenure. He described the plays of Penguins legends Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and others.
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Lange was honored in a pregame ceremony celebrating 45 years as the voice of the Penguins in 2019. The team named the press box at PPG Paints Arena the “Mike Lange Media Level.”
Lange broke into the NHL in 1974-75 as a radio play-by-play announcer for the Penguins. He left for one season, but returned in 1976-77. Lange did radio exclusively until 1979, when games were simulcast on radio and TV. He was the television voice of the Penguins through 2005-06, before returning to the radio booth in 2006-07.
The Sacramento, California, native got a degree in broadcasting from Sacramento State before starting off calling minor league hockey with the Phoenix Roadrunners and San Diego Gulls. He also called games for soccer’s Washington Diplomats before joining the Penguins.
“I didn’t get cheated in my quest to do what I have always loved,’ he said in 2021.
Mike Lange’s famous sayings
- ‘Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, give me the brandy.’
- ‘Scratch my back with a hacksaw.’
- “Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one, too.’
- ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building.’
- “Smilin’ like a butcher’s dog.’
- ‘He beat him like a rented mule.’