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Hockey nights in Pittsburgh will always belong to legendary broadcaster Mike Lange

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Hockey nights in Pittsburgh will always belong to legendary broadcaster Mike Lange


PITTSBURGH — All around PPG Paints Arena on Saturday afternoon there were signs of the respect Mike Lange commanded.

Commemorative stickers on the black clothing worn by Penguins personnel. His most famous goal calls on posters held by fans. Pictures and videos on the video boards between breaks. A couple of makeshift memorials. Tears during a pregame ceremony featuring Lange’s two sons and their families, some of his former broadcast partners, and the Penguins’ famous Big Three of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

And fittingly, as if equal parts a nod to one of Lange’s most-quoted goal calls and his first 15 seasons calling games for a woeful franchise, Penguins goalies spent the day being beaten “like a rented mule.”

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The only thing missing was Mario Lemieux, and that was by request.

Lemieux was in the building — that itself a rare occasion these days — but asked to remain in the shadows. He didn’t want to take away any of the moments that honored his late friend.

Lange, who died Wednesday, hadn’t called a Penguins game since the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. But if the past few days, especially Saturday, proved anything, it was that Lange cast an everlasting shadow over a city and its hockey team.

The voice of Penguins hockey for nearly 50 years, Lange was more than an influential and beloved play-by-play announcer with a flair for the dramatic. He was the first person to make the Penguins cool in Pittsburgh—and you didn’t need to be there from the start to believe it.

However, when Lange arrived in Pittsburgh in 1974, nobody, least of all himself, would have believed he’d become as synonymous with the Penguins as their greatest players.

It’s a step too far to say Lange kept the Penguins going long enough for Lemieux to arrive 10 years later and save the franchise, only for Crosby to resuscitate it two decades after that. Lange kept the franchise relevant until “Super Mario” and “Sid the Kid” took turns transforming it from beleaguered and bankrupt into a five-time Cup champion.

Calling games for KDKA-AM, a historic radio station with a powerhouse signal, Lange landed in Pittsburgh after Roberto Clemente’s death and Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception,” arriving with little-to-no fanfare for a franchise that felt like an outcast. The Penguins had nothing comparable to offer and didn’t even wear Pittsburgh’s black and gold colors the first time “heeeeeee shoots and scores” echoed out of radios in and beyond Western Pennsylvania.

Lange was the heartbeat of hockey until Lemieux became the heart and Crosby the soul of the Penguins. He was the reason to listen until those icons became the reason to watch.

The broadcasting gods blessed Lange with gifts similar to the ones the hockey gods bestowed upon Lemieux and Crosby. All three men had eagle eyes, preternatural instincts, and — to borrow from a Lange goal call — “more moves than Mae West.”

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Picture a prime Lemieux weaving through opposition skaters before embarrassing a goalie. Think of Crosby churning out of a corner and dragging defenders before dishing a puck to an open teammate.

Hearing Lange was the equivalent.

His goal calls are as iconic as the unforgettable moments of Lemieux and Crosby, not to mention Malkin and Jaromir Jagr. But Lange was more than a collection of highlights, rather he was a soundtrack to the best and worst of a star-crossed franchise that captured his heart as completely as he held the attention of its fans.

He was distinct, definitive and defiant.

Who dares Lord Stanley to “give me the brandy” within seconds of the Penguins’ winning the Cup? Who describes a goalie as having his pocket picked “like he was walking down Fifth Avenue”? Who gets away with turning Turtle Creek into “Turtle Crick” to rhyme it with “Arnold Slick”? Who nicks “Elvis has just left the building” to sign off on regular-season victories only to swap “Elvis” with “the New York Rangers” at the end of arguably the Penguins’ most emotional postseason series?

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Only a fearless, unapologetic original.


A tribute to Mike Lange at PPG Paints Arena featured his iconic headset. (Rob Rossi / The Athletic)

At the end of his legendary run, Lange, a chain smoker, had switched from cigarettes to vapes. Between periods, he’d leave the radio booth and find a place in every arena where he could take a hit — the nicotine somehow adding a sweetness to his voice.

His hideout at the old Civic Arena, affectionately known as The Igloo, was a small room with a small crack in the steel-domed roof. When the Penguins moved to their current arena, Lange needed a new spot where anybody who might see him would look the other way.

He found it on the catwalk. Perched from PPG Paints Arena’s highest spot, he’d create clouds while looking down upon the latest Penguins generation of fans and players — none of whom may have existed without him.

That catwalk is from where the Penguins’ five championship banners and three retired numbers hang, and that’s the company Lange deserves to keep.

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(Top photo of a view from the ice during the ceremony honoring Mike Lange: Joe Sargent / NHLI via Getty Images)





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Here are all the free movies you can watch outside this summer in Pittsburgh

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Here are all the free movies you can watch outside this summer in Pittsburgh


Yet another sign of summer in Pittsburgh is here: the lineup for Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park. Grab a blanket and/or set of lawn chairs — and don’t forget snacks. All screenings are free but subject to weather, and all begin at dusk — usually between 8:50 and 9:15 p.m.

Arsenal Park

40th Street at Davison Street, Lawrenceville
Fridays

  • June 12 – Cars (G)
  • June 26 – Wicked for Good (PG)
  • July 17 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
  • July 31 – A Minecraft Movie (PG)
  • August 14 – Lilo & Stitch (PG)

Banksville Park

1461 Crane Ave., Banksville
Mondays

  • June 15 – The Wiz (1978) (PG)
  • July 13 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)

Brookline Memorial Park

Oakridge Street, Brookline
Thursdays

  • June 18 – The Wiz (PG)
  • June 26 – The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG)
  • July 9 – Miracle (PG)
  • August 6 – Hoppers (PG)

​​Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park

Oakland
Wednesdays

*Due to special construction taking place at Flagstaff Hill, the final two “Wednesday Movies” in July (July 22nd and 29th) will occur at Schenley Plaza

  • June 10 – Hamnet (PG-13)
  • June 17 – Creed (PG-13)
  • June 24 – F1: The Movie (PG-13)
  • July 1 – Hamilton (PG-13)
  • July 8 – Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning (PG-13)
  • July 15 – The Naked Gun (2025) (PG-13)

Grandview Park

Bailey Avenue, Mt. Washington
Saturdays

  • June 13 – Cars (G)
  • June 20 – The Wiz (1978) (G)
  • June 27 – Wicked: For Good (PG)
  • July 11 – The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG)
  • July 18 –  The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
  • July 25 – Miracle (PG)

Highland Park

Reservoir Drive, Highland Park
Mondays

  • June 22 – Wicked: For Good (PG)
  • July 20 – Miracle (PG)
  • August 10 – Lilo & Stitch (2025) (PG)

Liberty Green Park

Larimer Avenue, East Liberty

Wednesday

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  • August 12 – Lilo & Stitch (2025) (PG)

McBride Park

McBride Street, Lincoln Place

Mondays

  • June 29 – Hamilton (PG-13)
  • July 27 – A Minecraft Movie (PG)

Ormsby Park

S. 22nd Street, South Side

Tuesdays

  • June 16 – The Wiz (G)
  • June 30 – Hamilton (PG-13)
  • July 14 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
  • July 28 – A Minecraft Movie (PG)
  • June 13 – Hamnet (PG-13)
  • June 20 – Creed (PG-13)
  • June 27 – F1: The Movie (PG-13)
  • July 11 – Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning (PG-13)
  • July 18 – The Naked Gun (PG-13)
  • July 25 – The Phoenician Scheme (PG-13)

Schenley Plaza

4100 Forbes Ave., Oakland
Sundays

  • July 22 – The Phoenician Scheme (PG-13)
  • July 26* – Film Pittsburgh Presents: ReelAbilities Summer Shorts
  • July 29 – Badlands (1973) (PG)

Troy Hill Citizens Park

  • August 3 – Hoppers (PG)

West End Elliott Overlook

Rue Grande Vue Street, Elliott. (Next to Elmer Pavilion)
Mondays

  • June 8 – Cars (G)
  • July 6 – The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG)

Note: Inclement weather may cause cancellations. For cancellation updates follow follow CitiParks Office of Special Events (@pgheventsoffice) on X, Facebook or Instagram.

The Great Lawn at Arts Landing. Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Even more free outdoor movies:

  • June 28, 9 pm – The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)
  • July 26, 8:45 pm – Willow (1988)
  • Aug. 30, 8:15 pm – The Lion King (1994)
  • Sept. 27, 7:30 pm – Batman (1989)
  • May 17 – Shrek
  • May 24 – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
  • May 31 – Inside Out
  • June 7 – High School Musical 2
  • June 14 – Toy Story (1 & 2)
  • June 21 – Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
  • June 28 – The Incredibles
  • July 5 – Mamma Mia!
  • July 12 – 13 Going on 30
  • July 19 – Perks of Being a Wallflower
  • July 26 – Moana
  • Aug. 2 – The Parent Trap
  • Aug. 9 – Finding Nemo
  • Aug. 16 – Barbie
  • Aug. 23 – Monsters, Inc.
  • Aug. 30 – Twilight
  • June 11 – Elio
  • June 18 – A Minecraft Movie
  • June 25 – Zootopia 2
  • July 9 – The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
  • July 16 – Lilo and Stitch
  • July 23 – The Bad Guys 2
  • July 30 – Goat
  • Aug. 6 – The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
  • Aug. 13 – Hoppers

Bonus: Open Air Cinema

This one isn’t free, but it is outdoors. New this year, The Stacks at 3 Crossings will be home to Pittsburgh’s Open Air Cinema. The ticketed experience includes options for classic theater, lounge or tabletop seating. They’ll also have a menu of street food-inspired bites and specialty drinks, popcorn and more. The season kicks off with “Creed” on May 23 and “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” on May 24. Tickets start at $11 per person for classic seating.





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A Bethel Park homeowner paid a contractor nearly $3,000 to repair his porch. He says no one showed up.

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A Bethel Park homeowner paid a contractor nearly ,000 to repair his porch. He says no one showed up.


A Bethel Park homeowner says he’s out thousands of dollars after hiring a contractor to replace his front porch. 

Jeffrey Markoff says he hired Quaker State Construction and Supply for an $8,500 porch replacement project and paid a $2,833 deposit to secure a spot on the company’s schedule. According to paperwork reviewed by KDKA Investigates, the contract listed an approximate start date in the spring with an estimated completion time of two weeks.

Months later, Markoff says no construction crew ever arrived. He then tried to contact the owner, Gabe Clouse.

“I call the company number, and there’s no answer. The number had been disconnected, called the designer, and he gave me the cell number for the owner,” said Markoff.

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When asked if he ever heard back, Markoff responded: “Never heard back and called that number twice.”

Markoff says losing the money has been frustrating.

“It’s money out of your pocket you feel somebody stole from you,” said Markoff.

KDKA Investigates took Markoff’s concerns to attorney Mike Fiffik of the Fiffik Law Group, a LegalShield provider firm, to find out what consumers can do in situations like this.

“In this situation, he has a couple of different options available to him,” said Fiffik. “If he paid the deposit with his credit card, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act will permit him to submit a dispute.”

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That process is known as a chargeback and is generally most effective when initiated within 60 days of receiving the statement. However, Markoff paid by check, meaning that the option was unavailable to him.

Instead, Fiffik recommends several other steps consumers can take:

  • Contact local police and report the incident as a theft
  • File a complaint with the local magistrate if the amount lost is under $12,000
  • File a complaint with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

When asked where homeowners should file if the contractor lives elsewhere, Fiffik said, “I would file with the magistrate where the homeowner lives.”

KDKA Investigates also attempted to contact Clouse multiple times, but our messages were not returned.

KDKA Investigates learned Clouse recently took over Quaker State and Supply as the new owner. The previous owner told KDKA he sold the business to Clouse in 2024, when the company still held an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. The business is now listed as closed.

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Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates: TV channel, start time, streaming for

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Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates: TV channel, start time, streaming for


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Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.

We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Thursday as the Colorado Rockies visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates?

First pitch between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies is scheduled for (ET) on Thursday, .

How to watch Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

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MLB scores, results

MLB scores for games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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