The Toronto Maple Leafs’ game-winning overtime goal in Game 6 over the Tampa Bay Lightning was the kind of moment that every broadcaster dreams of calling. Unfortunately for radio announcer Joe Bowen, his call of the magical moment got flubbed thanks in part to having to call the game remotely.
Saturday night, the Maple Leafs won a playoff series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the first time they’ve done so in 19 years. Their 2-1 overtime victory sent long-suffering fans into a frenzy and made for a passionate call by Bowen worthy of the moment.
“They score! They score! Holy Mackinaw they score! Morgan Rielly! Mo, Mo, Mo Rielly! The Leafs have won it! They’re going to the second round!” Bowen exclaimed.
"THEY'RE GOING TO THE SECOND ROUND!"
GAME 6 OT WINNER courtesy of Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph. #LeafsForever @BonsieTweets @Jim_Ralph
29/4/2023 pic.twitter.com/n3vOXDIgIh
— LeafsJellyHD (@LeafsJelly) April 30, 2023
Unfortunately, Morgan Rielly didn’t actually score the game-winner. While it did appear that Reilly might have redirected the puck toward the net, Toronto captain John Tavares was the one actually credited with the historic goal.
To his credit, Bowen rolled with the error as the emotions of the moment trumped the specifics.
“Joe, it may not be Rielly. It may have gone off the skate of Raddysh. Tavares threw it to the net…I think John Tavares is going to get credit for the goal. And at this point, who cares?” color commentator Jim Ralph added.
“Who cares?” Bowen responded, before signing “Happy days are here again! The sky is blue and clear again, we will drink good cups of cheer again! Happy days are here again.”
After the game, Bowen responded to a fan’s criticism of his game call, saying that he did his best given that he was watching the game on a TV monitor and not live in the arena.
“When the TV shot doesn’t show the Tavares celebration until well after the fact it’s rather difficult to make the call off the TV monitor. By the initial celebration it appeared Morgan Reilly [sic] had scored. My bad!” Bowen tweeted.
When the tv shot doesn’t show the Tavares celebration until well after the fact it’s rather difficult to make the call off the TV monitor. By the initial celebration it appeared Morgan Reilly had scored. My bad! https://t.co/94wxLbabNw
— Joe Bowen (@PixelOhne) April 30, 2023
Sportsnet and TSN initially made their road game broadcasts remote during the COVID-19 pandemic but continued to do so after most restrictions were lifted, owing to cost-cutting measures. It doesn’t appear as though they’ll be changing course on that in spite of the way it impacted the most important Toronto Maple Leafs’ broadcasting moment of the last 20 years.
Per The Athletic, it would cost an estimated $10,000 to send broadcasters to road games during a seven-game series.
[Joe Bowen, Daily Hive, blogTO]