Joe Bowen recently addressed the possibility of Wayne Gretzky joining the Toronto Maple Leafs and explained why it never happened. Gretzky in a Maple Leafs uniform remains one of the fan base’s greatest what-ifs.
‘The Great One’ is considered the greatest of all time, but he was traded more than once during his legendary career. The first was the monumental trade to the Los Angeles Kings. According to Bowen, the Leafs weren’t in the mix to try an acquire ‘The Great One’ during that period. Then-owner Harold Ballard had no interest in spending money or pursuing massive deals to improve the roster.
“Unfortunately, ownership at the time with Mr. Ballard really wasn’t in the idea of making a big splash or spending a lot of money,” Bowen told The Game Plan. “That unfortunately was a deterrent, I suppose, of having [Gretzky] come to Toronto.”
Years later, the St. Louis Blues acquired him at the trade deadline, pairing him with Brett Hull. After a 2nd round playoff exit to the Detroit Red Wings, Gretzky left the Blues and entered free agency. He received interest from several teams, including the Maple Leafs.
Gretzky grew up in Brantford, Ontario, and his father, Walter, was a Leafs season ticket holder. That connection to the team made it an incredible opportunity for then-general manager Cliff Fletcher to capitalize on. However, ownership was once again unwilling to commit to the figure required to sign Gretzky.
“It would have been really something, there’s no two ways about that. But unfortunately it didn’t happen.”
Joe Bowen Opens Up About Calling Wayne Gretzky’s Games
Joe Bowen also opened up about calling Wayne Gretzky’s games whenever he played the Maple Leafs. The longtime voice of the Leafs praised ‘The Great One’ for his abilities on the ice.
During an appearance on The Game Plan, Bowen revealed that Gretzky’s play often amazed him. He noted that it is particularly special when Gretzky, and other legends, remain involved in the sport.
“It’s like watching any of the other great players that come in. You are absolutely in awe of their skill set and their ability,” Bowen said. “We ran into a lot of wonderful players and a lot of them have managed to stay within the game and become managers, coaches, and various other things.”
He emphasized that although Gretzky was a dominant player, the Leafs still did fairly well against him.
“The Leafs actually did pretty well against Wayne except for when he was with the Los Angeles Kings in that [1993 playoff] series.”
Bowen Grateful for Gretzky’s friendship
Bowen also revealed that Gretzky has become a friend over the years.
The longtime Leafs announcer said he has enjoyed forming friendships with players outside of hockey. He added that those are the relationships he cherishes.
“It’s been great because [Gretzky and I] have become good friends [since that playoff series,” Bowen said. “So, you have a relationship with [these players] both as a broadcaster and as a friend, and that’s a special relationship to have.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Joe Bowen Explains Why the Maple Leafs Never Landed Wayne Gretzky appeared first on Heavy Sports.