Episode 77

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Published on:

22nd Oct 2025

Episode 77 - Holy Mackinaw! - With Maple Leafs Play-by-Play Legend Joe Bowen

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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About the Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast
Neil Smith & Vic Morren
Breadth and depth.
Contemporary and historical.
Straight-forward and experienced.
The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League.

Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past.

With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top.

Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you entertained and informed.


Bio’s
Neil S. Smith, highly regarded NHL executive, served as the President and General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers. During his eleven years with the team, they achieved significant success, including three division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, one Eastern Conference Championship, and a historic Stanley Cup victory—the franchise’s first in 54 years.

Known for his expertise in professional sports franchise economics, Smith played a pivotal role in management decisions under four different Rangers owners.. His tenure saw iconic trades and acquisitions, including Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky, as well as successful drafts and free-agent signings.

Starting as a pro scout, Smith's career highlights include the impactful 1989 draft for the Detroit Red Wings and bold trades that shaped NHL history. He briefly served as GM for the New York Islanders in 2006, later working as a consultant for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

A Toronto native, Smith's hockey journey began in junior leagues before a distinguished college career at Western Michigan University. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, including induction into the University's Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Vic Morren: Born in New York City close to the Old Madison Square Garden, Vic Morren has had hockey in his blood his entire life as a fan, player and television production manager.

A graduate of William Paterson University, Morren skated for three seasons with the Pioneers hockey club and became the first statistical analyst to apply his craft to telecasts working New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games from 1984-87. He co-authored two NHL-based statistics books within that span before moving to ESPN in 1987 and working the final season of the original deal the network had with the NHL.
After departing in 1990, Morren worked as a studio producer for SportsChannel America’s NHL coverage and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before returning to ESPN that fall where he worked all 12 seasons on the second ESPN/NHL deal and the first season of the most recent contract in 2021-22. Morren has also earned a Sports Emmy for his work on Sunday Night Football coverage in 2003.

His relationship with Neil Smith dates back 33 years through their mutual friendship with the late ESPN/ABC commentator John Saunders. Morren looks forward to NHL Wraparound and collaborating with Smith with the goal to provide an experience of contemporary viewpoints, historical spin and an overall enriching podcast experience.