Bill Hewitt (sportscaster)

Foster William Alfred "Bill" Hewitt (8 December 1928 – 25 December 1996) was a Canadian radio and television sportscaster. He was the son of hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt and the grandson of Toronto Star sports journalist W. A. Hewitt.

Playing career

Bill Hewitt played competitive football, track & field and hockey while at Upper Canada College.

Sports broadcasting

After graduation, Bill Hewitt took a broadcasting job at CJRL in Kenora, Ontario. He was then hired as sports director of CFOS in Owen Sound, Ontario, and later held the same title at CKBB in Barrie. In 1951, his father launched CKFH in Toronto and the younger Hewitt became its sports director at age 23. In the mid fifties, Hewitt began substituting on Maple Leafs broadcasts when his father was given other assignments by the CBC, such as covering the Ice Hockey World Championships or Winter Olympics. By 1958, the two Hewitts were working together in the booth on Leafs games. Foster eventually returned to radio and for the next two decades, Bill Hewitt was the TV voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In 1981, a health issue forced Hewitt out of the broadcast booth at the relatively young age of 53.

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced Hewitt's being awarded the 2007 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.

Death

Hewitt died of heart failure on the morning of December 25, 1996, just before dawn. He was buried in Stone Church Cemetery, just east of Beaverton, Ontario.

Hewitt was survived by daughter Bonnie Hewitt Dixon and son Bruce Hewitt.

TV Video

• Heard during a hockey brawl in 1959 on YouTube
• Heard during game 3 of the 1967 Stanley Cup finals won by Toronto on YouTube
• Heard during the final moments of the 1967 Stanley Cup finals on YouTube