How Mike Lange Became the Voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins
When you think of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who do you think of? However, for fans who have tuned into games over the years, one other name resonates just as prominently: Mike Lange. Nicknamed ”Voice of the Penguins,” Mike Lange is an iconic figure in the world of sports with his distinctive broadcasting style, memorable catchphrases and a long-standing commitment to Pittsburgh hockey. In this blog post, we will explore Mike Lange the man, Mike Lange the career, and Mike Lange the legacy that lives on with fans.
Who Is Mike Lange?
Mike Lange is a Hall of Fame sportscaster who spent more than 40 years calling Pittsburgh Penguins games. Lange, born on March 3, 1948, in Sacramento, California, indeed had a circuitous path to becoming a hockey broadcasting icon. His path to the Steel City started with a degree in radio and television from California State University, Sacramento.
He joined the Penguins in 1974 as a radio broadcaster, which he continued to do until 1979 when he left for a short time to work for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Still, he returned to the Penguins in 1986 and remained with the club until 2021, when he retired. During the years that followed, he became a staple in defining Penguins hockey, garnering honors such as the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2001 as a member of the media section of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Voice of Penguins Hockey
Mike Lange Blog: It is not just the duration that sets Mike apart from other broadcasters; it is the style. If you have listened to a Penguins game, there is no doubt you have heard the storybook cliche sounds of Bill Patrick Brennan-isms. Lange didn’t merely call plays; he painted portraits with his words, narrating the latticework of every goal, save, and hit. His voice brought the excitement of the rink right into Pittsburgh living rooms and car radios, and well beyond.
Lange combined bright play-by-play calls with a bit of showmanship. Whether it was an overtime thriller or a Stanley Cup-winning moment, he had a way of making the listener feel as though they were in the arena with them. You could feel the excitement in his voice, his passion for the game coming through every broadcast.
Iconic Catchphrases of Mike Lange
You cannot talk about Mike Lange without talking about his legendary catchphrases. He would sprinkle these often quirky, sometimes humorous, lines throughout his broadcasts, and they soon became a staple of Penguins fandom. Few Mike Lange quotes have reached the status of legend, here are some of them:
- “Buff my scrotum with a belt sander!” – Call ’em when you have a big mission
- “He whipped him like a rented mule!” – Said when a player has a player 1v1 and completely fakes out or tricks the opponent.
- “Hey Arnold Slick from Turtle Creek!” – The sly reference to a fictitious Pittsburgh fellow following a smooth play.
- This just in: “Elvis has left the building!” – For when the game was just about done
- Grab Sam a drink and his dog one too! – Time to shine.
Lange was a master at marketing his personality, and these phrases captured that personality and helped bring him close to the fans. What they were inevitably doing was turning Dunham-esque routine plays into memorable moments that enhanced the flavor of Penguins broadcasts all their own from that day forth.
Four Penguins Dynasties Over a Career
When you think of long-time Pittsburgh Penguins announcer Mike Lange, you think of some of the franchise’s defining moments. He was behind the mic for the 1991 and 1992 back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, calling Mario Lemieux’s dazzling goals and Tom Barrasso’s clutch saves. He found his way back to television calls in the 2000s, just in time to recount the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era and the Cups of 2009, 2016, and 2017.
The one constant through it all, of course, was Lange. From those lean years of the early 2000s to those championship runs, his voice was the constant. He didn’t just announce games — he documented the rise of the Penguins from a trouble-plagued franchise to one of hockey’s greats.
What Mike Lange Means to Pittsburgh
To Pittsburghers, Mike Lange is more than a voice. He is a cultural institution. In this city, hockey is more than a game; it is a culture. Lange understood that. Rather than coming off as rehearsed and cliched, his calls were pure, fiery, and Pittsburgh — and so were his words. He spoke the language of the fans, a working man’s grit laced with a sly sense of fun that reflected the city.
Listeners recount being in their cars late at night, pulled over to the side of the road to listen to Lange on the radio, or gathered around a television with family to watch Lange. They celebrated birthdays and holidays and Penguins won to his voice. Lange was a relic bound in twine: as technology grew away from tapes and CDs to streaming services, his old style continued to keep him in the last leg of the race.
Radio to TV and Back Again
Adapting To The Media Landscape Lange’s career spanned the better part of several decades as he had to transition with the media landscape. His descriptive style lent itself to radio where listeners were able to picture every puck drop and body check as he called them. Then in 1999, he transferred his energy from the stage to the small screen. A few were concerned that his radio-honed talents would be lost on the larger effect, but Lange adapted, keeping the swagger while pacing himself.
He went back to radio for good in 2006, much to the pleasure of fans who preferred the sound sans the video. This adaptability demonstrated his range and established him as a talent who could master any broadcasting style.
Retirement and Legacy
In June 2021, Mike Lange announced his retirement and stepped away from the full-time broadcast booth following the Penguins playoff run that season. But he didn’t leave the booth entirely—he just moved to part-time, announcing some home games. The same intensity with which he played every game since 1974 was on full display as not just his career, but his final full season ended.
When Lange retired, he left shoes that were difficult to fill. He called more than 2,500 games for the Penguins, saw them win five Stanley Cups, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Best of all, he gained the love of generations of fans. From players to colleagues to listeners — all paid tribute, in their ways, and all echoed the same thing: Mike Lange was one of a kind.
Mike Lange on Broadcasting Hockey: / Duration: 15: 34
Pittsburgh is where language is just the beginning. His innovative technique led a new generation of announcers to bring some personality to their charts. Much followed up on the vanilla end of the scale, however Lange proved that in the right hands, a joke and a twist to the norm could greatly elevate the fan experience. We can hear echoes of him in the voices of today’s box-busting announcers.
When he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 his honor was not strictly individual; his award was for broadcasters and broadcasters are vital in creating fans’ perception of the game. Lange showed that an exceptional voice can be as valuable to a team’s identity as its best players.
Where Is Mike Lange Now?
Update, Feb. He does not work as a full-time broadcaster anymore but does stop by here and there to call games. Who, of course, fans love to hear that voice again. Now semi-retired at 76, he is no longer a full-time member of that hockey world tide, though the tides of Pittsburgh hockey and otherwise flow through him still.
So, why does Mike Lange’s story resonate?
Amid an age of plastic media and corporate sports. Mike Lange was the real deal. And he wasn’t telling us he was just a fan as some kind of robotic voice reciting stats—he was saying he was just a fan, just like everyone else listening. His story is a gentle reminder that we still care about people and passion — even in a digital world. First for the kiddos and kiddens of Penguins fans everywhere — Scratch my back with a hacksaw! provides both a connection with the nostalgia of the past and a celebration of the team’s storied history.
The Pittsburgh Penguins honored Lange with tributes that reflected his impact on the franchise.
Conclusion: The Voice of the Penguins Voiced
And Mike Lange’s career proves the point that sports is a story. He had fun with his call, but he also had a joy endearment to his call as well. Starting in radio to enshrinement in a Hall of Fame, Lange’s journey mirrors the peaks and valleys of the Pittsburgh Penguins — and the steadfast loyalty of their fans.
Whether or not you have been a hockey fan your entire life or recently came around to it, Mike Lange certainly has a legacy worth celebrating. The sound of his voice might not ring from the airwaves every night anymore, but it resonates in the memories of Penguins Nation. So the next time you sit down to watch a game, take your hat off to the man who made every goal feel like a work of art— Mike Lange, the one true Voice of the Penguins.