Remembering Mike Lange: Tributes from Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, 'Doc' Emrick and more

Before starting a radio or television broadcast, the late Mike Lange famously told his audience, Its a hockey night in Pittsburgh.

It was his first famous catchphrase in a Hockey Hall of Fame career full of unforgettable ones.

Lange, who died Wednesday at age 76 , can still be heard saying those words at every Penguins home game.

An audio recording of his unmistakable voice is blasted through the PPG Paints Arena sound system to coincide with the opening faceoff usually taken by captain Sidney Crosby.

Advertisement He made such an impact on the Penguins franchise and me personally as a player, Crosby said in a statement released by the Penguins on Thursday.

He welcomed me to Pittsburgh.

It was the little things like words of encouragement at my stall after the media had left, a fist bump to acknowledge a big game or wink for a special moment.

He was so special and I am honored to have called Mike a friend.

Langes reach was such that almost everybody considered him a friend.

From Penguins icons such as Crosby and Mario Lemieux, admiring broadcasters who worked alongside or were influenced by him, to strangers who approached him with goal call suggestions Langes impact was immense.

GO DEEPER Yohe: Jaromir Jagr, Mike Lange and bus rides that forged a bond He was King Kong in Pittsburgh, said Eddie Olczyk, who was Langes broadcast partner before a brief stint as Penguins coach.

Heres what some of his colleagues and admirers said in memory of Lange.

Mario Lemieux Mike was a Penguins legend and one of the most important figures in franchise history.

It was my honor to have him call virtually every goal of my career and play a key role in all five of our Stanley Cup championships.

Mike was a one-of-a-kind broadcaster, a tremendous ambassador for the city of Pittsburgh, and, most importantly, a great friend.

He will be missed.

Paul Steigerwald Mike Lange was the greatest hockey announcer of all time.

His clever Langisms were actually the icing on the cake.

Mike felt the game, and like the great blues guitar players he appreciated so much, he was able to convey those feelings through his voice his instrument.

And he mastered his craft to become a virtuoso over time.

Mike was a genuine folk hero, and there are only a handful of those in all of sports broadcasting history.

He tapped into the ethos of Western Pennsylvania and helped turn millions of people into hockey fans over the years.

I am glad he had a chance to call all five Penguins Stanley Cup championships because he had ached for a winner for his first 15 years as the voice of the Penguins.

Eddie Olczyk He was my first partner on the local side.

Coming into the booth after playing and getting to know Mikey and knowing him and Steigy having played in the Burgh he (Lange) just taught me how to breathe through the broadcast.

He always set me up and built me up and critiqued me in a way that is so loveable and respectable.

We just had so much fun.

Advertisement Mikey had the unbelievable ability to raise his excitement level when something was going to happen.

He knew how to project, deflect, call it as he saw it, and move on.

Obviously the calls everyone has their favorite.

Thats just part of what put him on the map.

He loved radio.

Even when he was on TV, he could paint a picture so vivid because he came from radio.

Mike Doc Emrick His goal calls are timeless.

You know, sometime around the late 1980s, young broadcasters were trying out their versions of Mikes goal calls.

And they will forever.

My goodness, theyll be imitating Mikes goal calls for the rest of time, Id imagine.

There were three of us up for that job with the Penguins in 1974.

He got it.

All I can say, and I mean this sincerely, is they got the right guy.

Mike was the voice of the Penguins, it was almost as if it was preordained.

GO DEEPER Mike Lange talks his future, the Penguins struggles and more Steve Mears To have that type of character for a broadcaster to be larger than the team like Mikey was for a lot of years will never happen again.

His all-time favorite call was Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final in 1992 Marios winning goal against the Blackhawks.

Its the closest the Penguins ever came to winning the Cup at home.

And Mikey sang it to us.

I met him as the opposition, calling New York Islanders games at Nassau Coliseum.

He rolled in like the fog, as he would say, in that green trench coat.

He knew I was from Pittsburgh.

And he knew I was nervous.

But he had these pearls of wisdom.

And that never stopped when I went to NHL Network and when I came to the Penguins, when I took this job in Columbus.

Thats the last time I talked to him, consulting with him on another major career decision.

He exceeded my expectations because he was so helpful and kind.

All the quirks that people know about Mike made it better.

Most of my favorite memories are from the casino, sitting on the plane things that put a smile on my face even now as I talk about him.

John Buccigross In those early years, Mike was akin to hearing an underground punk band or a jazz club that nobody really knows about this amazing musician right in their neighborhood.

Youd think a guy trying to grow a sport and a team would be more conventional.

But he was the opposite of that carrying the public weight of the franchise while also being this unique character.

That was his brilliance.

He was a fearless artist.

Advertisement He went from the underground band, or Mikes case this guy, to breaking big he had this swell of loyal support and all these new fans.

He did his penance for a long time.

His glory was being able to call (Jaromir) Jagr, Lemieux, Crosby, (Evgeni) Malkin.

What a gift; he deserved it.

I dont know if Mario Lemieux needed a soundtrack.

But he got Mike Lange, and he couldnt have asked for a better fit.

Mike Sullivan Mike means a lot to the city of Pittsburgh.

I know he means a lot to our players, our coaching staff in particular.

Some of my favorite memories in hockey have Mikes voice accompanying with those and he certainly means the world to all of us in Pittsburgh.

Brian Metzer I grew up listening to Mike paint pictures of the game I loved in a way in which only he could.

His ability to meld wit with insight and craft colorful calls was unmatched.

His catchphrases will live on forever.

His sense of humor was subtle but packed a punch and if you werent paying attention, youd miss some of the biggest laughs of your life.

He went out of his way to offer advice and support and even after he retired, he still offered those things via text messages just when you needed them most.

It was one of the great honors of my life to go from fan of Mikey to friend of Mike, and it was a dream come true to work with him on Penguins game broadcasts.

Jim Rutherford What a terrific man he was.

We have lost the GOAT.

Matthew McConnell (Former Penguins GM) Craig Patrick had us staying in Castle Rock, Colorado, and were at the hotel bar.

There are poker chips in front of us for the rounds we bought.

Just a few chips in front of each of us.

All of a sudden there is a big stack of chips.

The bartender told us those chips were from some guy over there who calls himself Confuscious.

It was Mike, sitting by himself across the bar, sipping his Miller Light, smiling like a butchers dog, you could say.

Advertisement His connection to the fan came through the TV or radio.

You could feel it.

It was in his DNA.

As a fan, you felt you had an advocate in the booth.

The way he defended the Penguins, back in the day, made it fun.

He carried the franchise through dark times.

His calls are unbelievable.

I dont know if theres been a better person to call hockey in big moments than Mike.

He never missed.

Outside of Crosby and Lemieux, I dont think there was ever a bigger influence on the Penguins franchise.

Without Mike, Im not sure the franchise gets to Mario.

(Photo from 2008: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images).

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