TORONTO — Like father, like son.
For one period anyway.
In what Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Bowen called “one of the proudest days of my life,” the long-time voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs gave up his play-by-play microphone so his son David could call the second period of the Maple Leafs game at Scotiabank Arena on Monday with him and analyst Jim Ralph on the official radio broadcast.
“He did great, but I knew he would,” said Joe Bowen. “Listen, he calls games for the Sudbury Wolves (Ontario Hockey League). We did a game together up there last month. He’s very talented.
“This was his Christmas present. He better not think he’s getting anything else because he’s not,” Joe added before breaking into laughter.
Joe Bowen has been calling Maple Leafs games since 1982. As such, David was born into the sport and was surrounded by it on and off the ice. That includes the friendship his family has with Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos, who grew up not far from the Bowens in the town of Unionville, just north of Toronto.
Joe is 73 years old, 49 years older than 24-year-old David. Even with such a wide age gap, David said he has no aspirations of replacing his dad in the broadcast booth.
“He’s got plenty of games left in him,” David said. “And he’s still at the top of his game.”
The experience did, however, admittedly make him hungry to land an NHL job one day.
“Of course,” he said. “I mean, it was awesome. There were some butterflies but once it got going it came naturally.
“It was cool. I got to call two goals and a Max Domi fight. What more could you ask for?”
If you are Joe Bowen, nothing. For him, calling a Maple Leaf game with your son is about as perfect a Christmas as you could get.
