We all knew it was coming at some point.

Still, the news is hard to take.

Mike Lange has officially retired as the play-by-play voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins after 46 years. The Penguins sent out a press release announcing that Monday.

His time on the air was limited the past couple of years, but he was still there.

And while he will still make occasional appearances with the Penguins, he won't be describing on-ice action anymore.

To Baby Boomers like myself who grew up in the Pittsburgh region as huge sports fans, this is truly the end of an era.

Bob Prince doing Pirate games.

Myron Cope doing color commentary for Steeler games.

Mike Lange doing Penguin games.

Three Pittsburgh icons, so unique in personality, so colorful in technique ... so Pittsburgh.

I don't know if any of the three could have made it in the broadcast industry in any other market. But here, they are forever legends.

Prince created the Green Weenie and Babushka Power. Cope, of course, was responsible for the Terrible Towel.

Prince was a story-teller. Cope became famous for his “hmmmm-hawws” and annual Christmas carol, often poking fun at the opposing team in the NFL playoffs. “Deck the Broncos, they're just Yoncos” comes to mind.

Lange, of course, had his sayings that he connected to his description of the Penguins scoring a goal:

“He beat him like a rented mule.”

“He's smiling like a butcher's dog.”

“Scratch my back with a hacksaw.”

“Shave me with a rusty razor.”

“She wants to sell my monkey.”

“Call Arnold Slick from Turtle Creek (Crick).”

“Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one, too.”

Then there's my personal favorite: “Get in the fast lane, Grandma, the bingo game's ready to roll.”

This guy was doing Penguin games when the team nearly left town — twice.

He did games when the team won five Stanley Cups.

He did games when the Penguins were the worst team in the NHL.

Lange's on-air delivery worked for Penguins fans for years and years and years.

Now it's over.

Bob Prince. Myron Cope. Mike Lange.

Local sports fans will never see the likes of them again.

Greg Brown's on-air style may have approached that neighborhood, but the Pirates haven't won nearly enough during his tenure for that to materialize.

Prince, Cope and Lange called games for many a winning season. That added to their legacies.

They created radio magic.

I'm just glad I was around to experience all three.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle