Joe Bowen's replacement comes from inside the Maple Leafs organization

Although the Maple Leafs have not confirmed the move, sources suggest that Marlies broadcaster Todd Crocker will be the person to replace Joe Bowen in the booth.

Joe Bowen's retirement is something that the Maple Leafs fanbase is still coming to grip with. After 44 years as the voice of the franchise, Bowen is stepping away and retiring to enjoy life outside of the booth though it wasn't without celebration. Toronto put on a 'Holy Mackinaw' night to commemorate his career, with tributes pouring in across the hockey world.

But with only a few weeks before the preseason games start, the Maple Leafs need to find a new play-by-play announcer for their radio broadcasts for the 2026-27 season. According to Jonah Sigel of the Toronto Star though - they've found their man.

Toronto is replacing Joe Bowen with a broadcaster already trusted inside its development pipeline

While not officially announced by the Maple Leafs as of this writing, Sigel has had sources close to him reveal that Toronto Marlies play-by-play announcer Todd Crocker will be the one replacing Bowen:

Sources suggest Crocker will be the new radio play-by-play voice of the Leafs, joining veteran analyst Jim Ralph.

Crocker has been in the running alongside Bowen's son David, who is also a radio broadcaster for the Sudbury Wolves. Crocker started with the Marlies during the 2013-14 season after spending 16 years as the play-by-play announcer for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Bowen also believes that if the Maple Leafs do decide to go with Crocker as his replacement, that they have found a pretty great voice who gets to work with his long-time friend and colleague Jim Ralph:

Todd has been at it a long time. My son David threw his name in the ring, too. However, if Todd is the choice, he will get to work with the absolute best partner in Ralphie.

As opposed to simulcasting TV broadcasts for radio listeners, the Maple Leafs will continue to have a separate radio broadcast, however it is not known if they will be going back on the road or if they will continue to call the games via monitor - which was a hotly debated topic towards the end of Bowen's career.

Crocker inherits Jim Ralph and the fan connection, but not Joe Bowen's identity

While Bowen has no doubt been an iconic voice for over four decades, Crocker deserves a lot of credit for his passion and ability to make games accessible and understandable for all listeners.

His voice will peak, you'll hear the fan come out of him, and getting a chance to see him visually during these moments has solidified why he would be the next voice of the Maple Leafs:

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Crocker's excitement is going to be very similar to Bowen's, and with Ralph alongside him, that will provide an air of familiarity and continuity with the current fanbase.

But it's also time for Crocker to carve out his own path, and he gets to potentially call some of the most exciting moments to come - Gavin McKenna's first goal, Auston Matthews' 500th career goal, and Morgan Rielly's 1,000th career regular season game.

Though if things go perfect, Crocker will get to do something that Bowen was never able to do in his 44 years as the voice of the Maple Leafs - call a Stanley Cup victory.

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