Bob Grove remembers his first Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game like it was yesterday.

"It was Dec. 26, 1970. The Penguins beat the Boston Bruins, 4-2," said Grove, a Cecil Township resident. "Bryan Hextall and Jean Pronovost were the Penguins' top scorers that year, and Les Binkley and Al Smith were the goalies. Bobby Orr was playing for the Bruins at the time. I was transfixed by the action."

That first game began a life-long love of the Penguins and the sport of hockey for Grove.

"When I was a kid, the Penguins were not publicized like they are now," Grove said. "It was rare to see a Penguins game on TV. In fact, they didn't even have every game on the radio."

But that didn't stop Grove from getting his fix of the National Hockey League.

"I loved listening to games on the radio," Grove said. "I had a radio on my window seal and would go up and down the dial trying to find a hockey game. I could pick up Gene Hart on the [Philadelphia] Flyers broadcast and Lloyd Pettit on the [Chicago] Blackhawks broadcast. I could even pick up a Bruins game sometimes. And if I couldn't find an NHL game, I would sometimes listen to the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA."

Grove's love of the sport of hockey took a significant turn after graduating from Penn State University with a journalism degree in 1981.

"I worked at the Clearfield Progress for three months before taking a job at the Washington Observer-Reporter," Grove recalled. "It was in the middle of December and they actually wanted me to cover the Penguins. I felt like I had the best job in the world."

Grove's coverage of the Penguins also led to numerous other free-lance writing assignments.

"I've been a contributor to the Penguins game program since 1981," Grove said.

Grove has also authored a book -- 'Pittsburgh Penguins: The Official History of the First 30 Years' -- and contributed to two others.

"My book came out in 1997 and is now out of print, so it's very hard to find a copy," said Grove.

Grove left the Observer-Reporter in 1998 to join the media relations department of Port Authority of Allegheny County. But that didn't end his association with the Penguins. In fact, it opened another door that gave him a chance to work with an individual he had idolized while listening to Penguins broadcasts.

"Shortly after leaving the Observer-Reporter, I was asked to become a co-host on the Penguins Radio Network," Grove said. "I couldn't believe I was actually working with Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Lange. I remember waiting in line to get his autograph when I was a kid. I still have the sticker they handed out that had his trademark call of 'Great Balls of Fire.'"

From 1998-2004, Grove served as a co-host on the Penguins Radio Network giving recaps in between periods and after the game. In 2005 he became the host.

"Bob Grove is a tremendous asset to the Penguins media department," said Tom McMillan, the Penguins vice president of communications. "He is the preeminent Penguins historian of his era. He has a wealth of information and statistics in his head, in his notebook, and his computer. To have that type of a resource available has been a godsend to us. The reason Bob is so good is that it's a labor of love. It's more like a hobby, not a job, for him."

Grove covered the Penguins during their Stanley Cup championship seasons and is hoping for another title this season.

"What makes this team so special is that they are strong on both sides of the ice," said Grove.

Grove is glad to see the Penguins will be moving to a new arena. but he will miss Mellon Arena, formerly referred to as the Civic Arena.

"I've been practically living in that building since I was a kid," said Grove, who now works as a manager of public relations for Comcast. "It will be hard to leave, but it's time to move across the street."