After more than four decades as the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs , legendary play-by-play announcer Joe Bowen is preparing to call his final season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will honour the 74-year-old broadcaster with a special tribute game later this year.

The big celebration will happen on Dec. 16, as the team hosts the Chicago Blackhawks, the same opponent from Bowen’s first broadcast in 1982.

Bowen announced earlier this summer that the 2025-26 NHL season will be his last behind the microphone. The beloved figure known for his enthusiasm and iconic catchphrase, “Holy Mackinaw,” began calling Leafs games in the 1982-83 season.

“Everybody has a dream,” Bowen said to Global News. “I knew I wanted to do play-by-play. I’m living proof that sometimes if you have a dream, they c

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