Mike Lange

Mike Lange (born March 3, 1948, in Sacramento, California) is an American sportscaster, best known as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2001, he received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his outstanding work as an NHL broadcaster.

A native of Sacramento, California, Lange joined the Penguins as a radio announcer in 1974 after spending time as a commentator for the San Diego Gulls and Phoenix Roadrunners of the Western Hockey League. He left the Penguins after just one season, because the team was in bankruptcy and he had no guarantee of a job. Lange called Washington Diplomats soccer games, then returned to the Penguins for the 1976–77 season, where he became the central figure of the team's broadcast presence.

From 1975 until 2006, Lange served as the lead play-by-play announcer for the Penguins' hockey radio and television network, never missing a broadcast. On June 29, 2006, citing a desire to go in a new direction, Fox Sports Pittsburgh (now Root Sports) did not exercise the option year on Lange's contract. He was replaced by Paul Steigerwald, who had previously done the radio broadcasts, in a move that was, arguably, extremely unpopular with fans. On taking Lange's spot Steigerwald said, "I'm not going to try to replace him. I think he's irreplaceable."