Paul Steigerwald
Encyclopedia
Paul Steigerwald is an American sports announcer.
general manager Jack Riley
, who would provide tickets for the poorly-attended games. Steigerwald developed an interest in hockey and played at the club level while attending Kent State University
. After graduating, Steigerwald would start his broadcast career with the Johnstown Red Wings
of the Eastern Hockey League
. WJNL, the local radio affiliate of the Johnstown Red Wings paid Steigerwald $110 a week to provide commentary for all 70 games that season. With a 24-45-1 and a failing economy within the Johnstown area, the Johnstown Red Wings ceased operations in 1980. The Eastern Hockey League later folded the following year.
Steigerwald was the radio play-by-play announcer for the Altoona Curve
- the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
- from 2005-2007.
(now Root Sports) hired him on 29 June 2006 as its TV play-by-play announcer after it declined to renew the contract of fellow Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange
, who was later hired by the team exclusively as its radio play-by-play announcer. On August 18, 2011, Steigerwald and his partner Bob Errey were re-signed by Root Sports to multi-year contracts.
, Steigerwald was criticized for a joke he made concerning Hockey Hall of Fame
r, Hobey Baker
. Steigerwald's co-commentator, Bob Errey
stated that during hit on the Devils' Mike Mottau
, who won the Hobey Baker Award
at Boston College in 2000, by the Penguins' Craig Adams, that "The Hobey Baker winner went down... real hard." Steigerwald responded by saying, "Not as hard as Hobey Baker went down, though. He went down in a plane crash. That's pretty hard to go down there." Steigerwald then added that "I don't mean to laugh about how he left us," but continued to chuckle about the situation for several more seconds. Baker, an American fighter pilot in World War I
, was killed shortly after the war end, in an airplane accident. The crash occurred on December 21, 1918.
action movie Sudden Death
. Playing himself, he provided commentary for a hockey game during which Van Damme's character fought off terrorists; his part climaxed with him exclaiming "holy s--t!" when the scoreboard above the arena was damaged.
Minor leagues
Steigerwald became a hockey fan growing up in Pittsburgh's South Hills. One of his neighbors was Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
general manager Jack Riley
Jack Riley (ice hockey b. 1919)
John Patrick "Jack" Riley is a retired professional ice hockey player and executive. He was born in Toronto, Ontario.Riley played nine seasons of professional hockey, primarily in the Eastern Hockey League for the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Falcons and Washington Lions...
, who would provide tickets for the poorly-attended games. Steigerwald developed an interest in hockey and played at the club level while attending Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. After graduating, Steigerwald would start his broadcast career with the Johnstown Red Wings
Johnstown Red Wings
The Johnstown Red Wings were a professional ice hockey team based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania They were founded as a member of the Eastern Hockey League in the 1979-80 season.The Red Wings were used as an affiliate to the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL...
of the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
. WJNL, the local radio affiliate of the Johnstown Red Wings paid Steigerwald $110 a week to provide commentary for all 70 games that season. With a 24-45-1 and a failing economy within the Johnstown area, the Johnstown Red Wings ceased operations in 1980. The Eastern Hockey League later folded the following year.
Steigerwald was the radio play-by-play announcer for the Altoona Curve
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
- the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
- from 2005-2007.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins hired Steigerwald as their marketing director in 1980 at age 25, and later became their radio color analyst in 1985. FSN PittsburghFSN Pittsburgh
Root Sports Pittsburgh is a regional sports network owned and operated by DirecTV Sports Networks. The channel first aired in the Pittsburgh metro area on April 24, 1986 as KBL with the season opener of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Mets from Three Rivers Stadium and expanded close to its modern day...
(now Root Sports) hired him on 29 June 2006 as its TV play-by-play announcer after it declined to renew the contract of fellow Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange
Mike Lange
Mike Lange is 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....
, who was later hired by the team exclusively as its radio play-by-play announcer. On August 18, 2011, Steigerwald and his partner Bob Errey were re-signed by Root Sports to multi-year contracts.
Hobey Baker joke
During a December 22, 2009 game between the Penguins and the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Steigerwald was criticized for a joke he made concerning Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
r, Hobey Baker
Hobey Baker
Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Regarded as the first American star in ice hockey, he was also an accomplished football player. Born into a prominent family from Philadelphia, he enrolled at Princeton University in 1910...
. Steigerwald's co-commentator, Bob Errey
Bob Errey
Robert Errey is a retired former professional ice hockey left wing who was drafted 15th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and played 895 NHL games over the course of his career...
stated that during hit on the Devils' Mike Mottau
Mike Mottau
Michael Joseph Mottau is an German-American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League...
, who won the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
at Boston College in 2000, by the Penguins' Craig Adams, that "The Hobey Baker winner went down... real hard." Steigerwald responded by saying, "Not as hard as Hobey Baker went down, though. He went down in a plane crash. That's pretty hard to go down there." Steigerwald then added that "I don't mean to laugh about how he left us," but continued to chuckle about the situation for several more seconds. Baker, an American fighter pilot in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was killed shortly after the war end, in an airplane accident. The crash occurred on December 21, 1918.
Cameo
He appeared in the Jean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
action movie Sudden Death
Sudden Death (film)
Sudden Death is a 1995 American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Powers Boothe. The film's story was written by Karen Elise Baldwin, the wife of then-Penguins owner Howard Baldwin. It also features Dorian Harewood and Raymond J. Barry, and is directed by Peter Hyams. It has been...
. Playing himself, he provided commentary for a hockey game during which Van Damme's character fought off terrorists; his part climaxed with him exclaiming "holy s--t!" when the scoreboard above the arena was damaged.