His voice has boomed across the airwaves of Canada for almost four-and-a-half decades. After the 2025-26 season, Joe Bowen will retire from behind the Maple Leafs microphone but not before hoping to make the one call Leafs fans have waited for since 1967.
Bowen joins Neil and Vic for an enlightening conversation covering his career, his famous moniker and his memories from a Hall-of-Fame career.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[02:15] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To pays a lot of attention to Brad Marchand's return Boston for the first time since the March trade as well as the first meeting of the last two number one overall draft picks.
[09:53] - Joe Bowen joins the show and, with the Blue Jays having made the 2025 World Series, Neil poses the question whether the Maple Leafs have any more pressure having gone with a Stanley Cup since 1967.
[12:00] - Calling Leaf games for the first time in 10 years without Mitch Marner.
[14:24] - The difference of how Marner and John Tavares - both hometown players - dealt with the pressure of playing in Toronto.
[18:20] - The latest drama in TO - this one centered around goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
[19:52] - Going back to the beginning of Bowen's career as a broadcaster leading up to him getting the pxp gig for the Leafs in 1982.
[22:04] - The origin and legend of Holy Mackinaw!
[24:20] - Bowen's first game doing Leafs pxp, Oct. 6, 1982 in Chicago Stadium.
[26:13] - Working in the two cathedrals of hockey in Toronto: Maple Leaf Gardens and Scotiabank Arena.
[29:18] - Neil and Joe share some laughs about the French's Cup - a two-game exhibition series played between the Rangers and Leafs in September 1993.
[30:18] - The favorite team Joe has covered during his career.
[33:10] - Neil follows up on a point on the importance of supportive ownership of a franchise.
[35:25] - The upcoming honor on Dec. 16 against the same club Bowen first called his first Leafs game against, the Chicago Blackhawks.
[38:16] - Bowen will call his 3800th game in January. Does a particular call stand out...or has that script yet to be written?
[40:29] - With a 44-year career winding down, Joe shares what his contributions to hockey and Canadian/Maple Leafs culture has meant to him.
[42:59] - The difference between calling radio vs. TV.
[48:12] - Speaking with Joe Bowen brought Neil back to being a young boy growing up in Toronto.
[50:02] - Injury updates and other notes from around the NHL.
X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound
Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil
Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/
NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/
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