Maple Leafs announce broadcast schedule, Sportsnet to host 36 games

As training camp kicks off, the Toronto Maple Leafs have officially released their full broadcast schedule for the upcoming NHL season. Per the official press release, it will break down as follows:

The Maple Leafs see 36 of the club’s regular season games featured nationally on Sportsnet with six games broadcast nationally on Prime Video, while Sportsnet Ontario (14 games) and TSN (26 games) will split the club’s regional broadcasts. In addition to their regular season broadcasts, Sportsnet and TSN will air live coverage of all six Maple Leafs pre-season games.

This year will also be the last time fans in Toronto will get to hear Joe Bowen call Maple Leafs games, after the legendary play-by-play commentator announced earlier this year that he will be retiring after this season. The Maple Leafs press release shares the following on his illustrious career:

Bowen, who began calling games for the franchise during the 1982-83 season, was appointed the fifth radio broadcaster in Maple Leafs history, succeeding Ron Hewat. Bowen has since called over 3,000 Maple Leafs games, reaching the 3,000-game milestone on March 7, 2017, and has called more games than any broadcaster in the history of the franchise. In 2018, Bowen was honoured with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, which recognizes “distinguished members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting.

A celebration of Bowen’s career is in the works for this season, with formal plans to be announced at a later date.

The Maple Leafs season will kick off on Wednesday, October 8th as Toronto hosts the Montreal Canadiens, broadcast nationally on Sportsnet. Among Leafsnation’s list of games to watch this season, Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto is one that most Leafs fans likely have circled on their calendar. That one takes place on Friday, January 23rd at 7pm and will also be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet, with TSN 1050 taking the radio broadcast.

Monday Night Hockey on Prime Video will continue this season, with six Maple Leafs games featured throughout the year. All six of those matches will take place at Scotiabank Arena, as the Leafs face off against the Detroit Red Wings on October 13th, the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 3rd, the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 8th, the Minnesota Wild on January 19th, the Philadelphia Flyers on March 2nd, and the Dallas Stars on April 13th.