The NHL returned to action after the incredible success of the 4 Nations Face-Off with two of the legendary players of this generation going head to head once again with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. And it also presented the perfect opportunity for ESPN lead announcer Sean McDonough to pay tribute to legendary Penguins announcer Mike Lange.
Lange passed away during the course of the 4 Nations Face-Off at the age of 76. He called games for the Pens on television and radio for almost 50 years before retiring in 2021.
In the second period of the game, Sidney Crosby (just off of winning the 4 Nations with Team Canada) scored to tie the game at 2-2.
And it was then that McDonough echoed one of Lange’s more famous and unique calls to commemorate the goal.
Full marks to ESPN’s Sean McDonough for using “Scratch My Back with a Hacksaw” as a tribute to Mike Lange on Sidney Crosby’s goal. pic.twitter.com/OSS5es8Ono
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) February 22, 2025
The famous “scratch my back with a hacksaw” is one of many incredible Mike Lange trademark calls, which made him a one-of-a-kind hockey announcer and Pittsburgh media personality. You can sample even more from this TSN Top 10 highlights package from many years ago that also include “smiling like a butcher’s dog” and “Elvis has left the building.”
Kudos to Sean McDonough for not only paying tribute to Mike Lange in such a perfect fashion, but finding the exact perfect moment to do it with a Sidney Crosby goal for the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for Penguins fans, that was pretty much the last highlight of the day as the Capitals would then storm to an 8-3 victory.
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