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Joe Bowen Reflects on Pat Quinn’s Maple Leafs Era
Joe Bowen recently reflected on the Pat Quinn era in Toronto, which saw the team make strong playoff pushes. The longtime Toronto Maple Leafs announcer looked back fondly on those years in Leafs history. He also praised Quinn for establishing a culture that strived for success.
Quinn was named Leafs head coach before the 1998-99 season and was given the general manager duties the following year. His tenure as head coach lasted from 1998 until 2006, when he was relieved of his duties after the Leafs missed the playoffs.
With Quinn as head coach, the Leafs went to the Eastern Conference Finals twice. However, they were unable to get over the hump and reach the Stanley Cup finals.
During an appearance on The Game Plan, Bowen emphasized the difficulty of making the playoffs in the NHL. He recalled the late, great Quinn willing his team on and finding ways to make the playoffs by utilizing the team’s leadership and grit.
“You got to get [to the playoffs] first. It’s a really, really good league,” Bowen said. “There are a lot of really good player and really good teams. And to just kind of throw it off that, oh, you’re going to be there is not reality.”
He continued:
Pat’s teams got in sometimes just by the skin of their teeth and then had enough leadership and grit, and determination that they did well in the postseason. [They] got to the Stanley Cup semifinals twice, but never got to the championship round. So, they were great teams.”
Joe Bowen Says Pat Quinn Never Shied Away From Making Bold Moves
Joe Bowen also recalled Pat Quinn being active on the trade market when trying to bolster the Maple Leafs roster. Each season with Quinn as general manager, he never hesitated to make a bold move to improve the team’s chances.
Speaking with The Game Plan, Bowen compared Quinn to former general manager Cliff Fletcher. He credited his bold moves as the reason the NHL eventually adopted a salary cap.
“The ability Pat had of adjusting and going after players at the deadline. It was always never for the lack of trying [to make the team better],” Bowen said. “Because of the way Pat handled things and the way [Fletcher] did, the league literally had to change its rules. Along came the salary cap and how much you were able to spend.”
Bowen Reveals Quinn Had Full Support from Ownership
Bowen also revealed that Quinn had full support from ownership during his tenure as Leafs general manager. He noted that it was a stark contrast to the 1980s, when Harold Ballard owned the team.
With Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment in control, it was made clear that the organization wanted to win. That support allowed Fletcher, and later Quinn, the ability to be active on the trade and free agent market.
“Once [the 1992-93 season] arrived, new ownership and everything else, it was never a situation where they were not trying to win it all,” Bowen told The Game Plan. “They were going to spend the money, they were going to try and the resources available. That was a big time difference from the 1980s [under Ballard].”
Giancarlo Aulino Giancarlo Aulino is sports writer who covers UFC for Heavy.com. He began writing for Heavy in 2025 after providing MMA coverage for Sportskeeda. Giancarlo is an experienced journalist and interviewer, having covered soccer clubs Toronto FC and York United FC as a full-season reporter, and also producing sports coverage for Toronto radio station VIBE 105.5FM.
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