An Interview With Joe Bowen, Maple Leafs Play-By-Play Man

Joe:  I agree with the current players getting to wear the numbers but I do think there should be a change. 

On each of the numbered jerseys should be some sort of patch, with a description, saying something like number 21 was Borje Salming.  And maybe a small crest, like say if the number was Mats Sundin's number 13, the jersey would have a C, but on the left side of it or something that would conotate that these were numbers worn by these Maple Leafs greats.  One I think it would be a very nice selling point for the Maple Leafs and the league as far as jersey sales would go.  More importantly, each time that person pulled on the jersey, say number 14, they would say "wow, Dave Keon used to wear this jersey, and that's pretty important, and I should live up to that type of player and style.  To wear the number with pride.  I don't know if the Leafs could do that without the NHL having a problem with it or not. 

It is a unique way of honouring numbers, and I think the uniqueness should be shown in the jersey itself.



Derek: You talked a little earlier about your work with various charities, maybe none closer to home than your work with Leukemia research, specifically the UFCW Celebrity Golf Classic.  Talk a little bit about why it is so important to you, and how people like myself and other fans can get involved?

Joe:  My son Sean, was diagnosed with Leukemia at one years of age.  He is now eighteen and doing exceptionally well.  We got involved very quickly in trying to do some fund raising for that, which led us to be involved with the United Food and Commercial Workers union who have chosen Leukemia research as their charity of choice across Canada. 

Back then they were raising $300,000 a year which is still a fantastic amount.  This past June we tabled $1.4 million from various different drives, included in that was a $647,000 that was raised from the Beer Store and the UFCW on a bottle drive from one weekend.  We have been very active in that and doing as much as we can to help them in the cause.  As I mentioned we do sell "Holy Mackinaw" t-shirts which you can find on the Maple Leafs official website.  It's something we have worked very hard on but we have a young boy who is very healthy because of all the spadework which was done before we got involved. 



Derek:  You're a big fan of Irish/Celtic music.  Was it your idea to have the Maple Leafs victory song "Heave Away" by the Fables?

Joe: No that wasn't me.  It was interesting though, we had Michael Burgess in town for a golf tournament and he has been working on some new words for the song "Maple Leaf Forever"  that has more of a hockey connotation and I would love to see that done, I think it would be great to hear in the arena. 

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