Derek:  There has been a lot of talk and some people have been up in arms this summer over a song.  I am talking of course about the Hockey Night In Canada theme.  You work for TSN calling Maple Leafs games, are you excited the song has been brought to TSN?  Is it a big deal to you?

Joe: No (laughs.)  I don't work with it, it's going to be on the station and that's too bad, the CBC handled it badly in my opinion.  Trust me that is not the Hockey  Night In Canada song for me.  The Hockey Night song for me is that Esso motoring jingle they used to play in the 1960's when I watched it.  I don't know what TSN is going to do with it, or how they're going to get their money back or what they're doing with it, other than it being a PR stunt. 



Derek:  Of Maple Leafs fans young and old, one of their favourite arguments is who is the best Maple Leafs captain of all time.  What's your thoughts in that?

Joe: Oh boy.  That's hard to say.  George Armstrong was the most successful Leafs captain.  Syl Apps was a great captain.  Teeter Kennedy, all of the greats from way back when that we weren't fortunate enough to see live. 

I don't think I could ever pinpoint one and say he is the best, because in my mind, they have all been outstanding.  To wear that C on your sweater is a very important event, especially in Toronto.  The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs carries a lot more weight on it's shoulders than say the captain of the Dallas Stars.



Derek:  Just quickly if I can get your thoughts on some of the buyouts that Cliff made.  I know a lot of the guys were players who were here for a while, or pretty big parts of the team.  Let's first talk about Darcy Tucker.  Can he rebound and become the player he once was?

Joe:  Darcy has to get back to playing the type of game that made him hated by all other teams except for the one he was on.  He got a lot of criticism here for being Sideshow Bob like.  Well, Sideshow Bob is Darcy Tucker.  He has to be a miserable, in your face, chirping, yapping kind of a hockey player to be real effective.  Other teams try to take extra opportunities to take runs at him, and soon enough he is getting his chances to score, and I hope he can get back to that.



Derek:  What about Kyle Wellwood?  People in Toronto didn't get to see a whole lot of him because of injuries, but he seemed to have almost a meteoric rise from junior, to the AHL and finally the NHL.  We seen flashes that he could be a brilliant player, but it appears right now his head isn't where it should be?

Joe:  He does have that ability.  But Kyle Wellwood has to be more conscientious off the ice.  He has to have a much better physical presence in the gym and be a much more determined off ice worker.  He did have his groin problems, but really he has never gotten himself into fantastic shape.  In this league you have to work at your game, especially off the ice, or others will pass you by, and that's the problem Kyle is going to find himself in.  He is a delightful young man, but he has a lot of work ahead of him this off season to get back to where he should be.



Derek:  Finally Andrew Raycroft.  He tied the franchise record for most wins one year, and then the next it appeared the wheels fell off.  It seemed he never felt comfortable with the media spotlight here.  Did Raycroft get sort of a bad deal in Toronto with them bringing in Vesa, and do you think he can return to form in Colorado?

Joe:  Well you know, Andrew Raycroft is one of my favourite people, and I always hoped he would do well.  When a bad goal would go in I would just cringe and you would shake your head.  I would feel bad for him.  He won the rookie of the year award in Boston, and he has shown he is capable of playing extremely well, but he was under the microscope in Toronto, and it never really worked out for him.  I really do hope that under less scrutiny and in a less intense hockey market, that isn't as prone to eating it's young so to speak, that he can get his game back. 

He really is an outstanding individual, and never once did he shadow away from answering questions after the game or anything like that.  He is a quality individual and I hope the best for him.



Derek:  You said a pretty key phrase there "eating their young."  Does that worry you with the rebuild.  Clearly there are some veterans in the dressing room who will be able to take some heat off the youngsters.  But do you worry about the young guys like Kulemin, Tlusty, and Stralman who will see increased ice time, and responsibility this year?

Joe:  Well, that is the nature of the beast.  One day some in Toronto say they have to play with the young guys, and then the next day will rip those young guys a new one because they made a bad pass up the middle or something.  Really the whole idea is that some in the media in Toronto think it's a big game.  It's fun to make fun of the Maple Leafs they think, and really couldn't care less about the impact it has on individuals.  

A lot of people are able to look at it though and take it for what it's worth.  They look at something negative someone may have wrote and say "why did he write that?  Who cares!"  And these players need to adopt that sort of mentality too.  You do need that supporting staff.  Not only veteran players in the room, but guys like Paul Dennis who have to pull these young guys aside and warn them about the media, explain to them how it works.  You have to be cautious of what you say because the media will take it and spin it around on you. 

More and more in Toronto, especially, athletes just do their thing with the media because that's part of their job, and then when they're done talking, completely disregard them, because usually that reporter uses it for their own vendetta.  But there is no doubt the experience in the dressing room is going to help these youngsters.


Derek:  Like we have said before it is a young team that does have some veteran presence on it.  One of those veterans is someone who in my mind was one of the most popular Maple Leafs of the past twenty years, speaking of course about Curtis Joseph.  How important will Cujo be in calming the young defenseman, and how happy are you that Joseph is back in Toronto?

Joe:  I'm thrilled Curtis is back.  He will be excellent for the young guys.  He is at a point in his career that he knows he will be a backup for Vesa Toskala.  I think he is and will be great with the media, and will also be a good mentor not only for Vesa, but for the younger guys as well.  When he gets the chance to play, I know he can play at a high level.  I think the fans are real excited about having Cujo back and I'll certainly enjoy it as well.



Derek:  Ron Wilson brings a lot of respectibility to this team.  In your mind, what does Wilson bring to the team that was missing last season?

Joe:  Well he is going to make the defensive system a lot better that's for sure.  He is also great when it comes to working with youth and turning them into solid NHL players.  Those are the two key ingredients he brings and when you combine that with the way he handles the media, I think he'll be a good fit in Toronto.

Once again I would like to thank Joe Bowen for taking time out of his busy schedule to take some time to sit down with me.  As a life long Leafs fan it was a real honour for me.

Those wishing to order "Holy Mackinaw" T-Shirts in support of Leukemia Research can do so by sending $25.00 to the following address:

Joe Bowen
P.O. Box 64705
Unionville Ontario L3R 0M9

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