Joe Bowen comes home to Sudbury to broadcast a Wolves game with his son

Legendary announcer Joe Bowen returned to Sudbury, Ont., on Family Day, calling the Wolves game alongside son David — a full-circle moment where his career began.

After announcing that he was retiring as the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs radio broadcasts after this season, Joe Bowen returned to Sudbury, Ont., this week, where his career began.

Bowen joined his son, David, for a Family Day edition of a Sudbury Wolves broadcast. He got his start calling Wolves games in 1970s before heading to the bright lights of Toronto in 1982.

“I’m coming home is what it is,” Bowen said Monday ahead of the afternoon game.

“It’s a very special day. The Wolves have asked me to come up for a ‘Holy Mackinaw Day.’ We’re going to raise some money, which is (for a) great for charity. They’re selling T-shirts and they’re going to have a pre-game ceremony for me at centre ice, which will be a lot of fun,” he said.

“This is home and it always will be.”

Bowen began his career announcing the Sudbury Wolves games before heading to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1982. He has since called around 3,800 Leafs games on radio and TV, where ‘Holy Mackinaw’ became he widely known catchphrase.

“It is a full circle, really is,” he said.

“I mean, we had some wonderful teams here when I first started broadcasting back in the 1970s. Well, that’s a long time ago. But it was a lot of fun.”

Julia Williams, game day director for the Sudbury Wolves, said Bowen is a broadcasting legend.

“Not only is he from Sudbury, he started his career here with the Sudbury Wolves, which then expanded, of course, into being the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Williams said.

“His career has spanned over five decades. And we want to honour ‘Holy Mackinaw’ right here in our own arena, where he started.”

Joining Bowen in the Sudbury broadcast booth was his son, David, who has followed his dad’s footsteps and is the Wolves’ play-by-play announcer.

Proud father and son

“I am so very proud that he has done this all on his own, and he’s very good,” Bowen said of his son.

“He’s very, very good. And so that will be the special part of it. His three older brothers will be watching the game on TV today and having some fun at our expense, I’m sure. But, it’ll be a special moment, not only for David, but for all of our family.”

“I’m just so proud of what he’s been able to accomplish,” David said.

“He’s a Hall of Famer and obviously a fantastic broadcaster. But more importantly, to me, he’s just been an awesome dad, and he’s made sure that I could follow any dreams that I’ve had.”

While his original goal was to become an NHL player, he said he was able to switch to broadcasting, “something else that I was passionate about — and just happened to be similar to what he does.”

As fate would have it, Bowen and his son broadcast a Wolves victory, with Sudbury downing the Niagara IceDogs 6-2.