Bill Hewitt
Encyclopedia
Foster William Alfred Hewitt (8 December 1928 in Toronto
– 25 December 1996 in Port Perry, Ontario
) 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.
Hewitt excelled at football, track & field
and hockey, while at Upper Canada College
. After graduation, he took a broadcasting job at CJRL
in Kenora. He was then hired as sports director of CFOS in Owen Sound, and later held the same title at CKBB
in Barrie
. In 1951, his father launched CKFH
in Toronto
and Hewitt became sports director. By 1958, he and his father were covering hockey on television. Foster eventually returned to radio and for the next 20 years, Bill Hewitt was the TV voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
In 1981, a health issue forced Hewitt out of the broadcast booth. He retired to his farm, and died of a heart attack
. He is buried in Stone Church Cemetery, just east of Beaverton, Ontario
.
The Hockey Hall of Fame
announced that Hewitt would be posthumously awarded the 2007 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
– 25 December 1996 in Port Perry, Ontario
Port Perry, Ontario
Port Perry is a community located in Scugog Township, Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. The town is located east of Uxbridge and southwest of Peterborough. Many residents commute to Toronto on a daily basis. Port Perry's municipal website reported a population of just over 9,500 in 2010.Port Perry...
) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He was the son of hockey broadcaster
Ice hockey broadcasting
As with most other professional sports, ice hockey is broadcast both on radio and television.-History:The first dissemination of game scores via electronic means was done by telegraph, starting in the 1890s...
Foster Hewitt
Foster Hewitt
Foster William Hewitt, OC was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for Hockey Night in Canada. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt.-Early life and career:...
and the grandson of Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
sports journalist
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
W. A. Hewitt.
Hewitt excelled at football, track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and hockey, while at Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
. After graduation, he took a broadcasting job at CJRL
CJRL-FM
CJRL-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 89.5 FM in Kenora, Ontario. The station broadcasts an adult contemporary format as 89.5 The Lake....
in Kenora. He was then hired as sports director of CFOS in Owen Sound, and later held the same title at CKBB
CIQB-FM
CIQB-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts a Top 40 format at 101.1 FM in Barrie, Ontario The station uses the on-air brand name B101 and broadcasts to Barrie & surrounding areas of Simcoe County, including the communities of Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, and dozens of...
in Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
. In 1951, his father launched CKFH
CJCL (AM)
CJCL is a Canadian sports radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned and operated by Rogers Communications, the station broadcasts at 590 kHz on the AM radio dial with a 50,000 watts transmitter and directional antenna concentrating its signal over the Toronto/Hamilton region...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Hewitt became sports director. By 1958, he and his father were covering hockey on television. Foster eventually returned to radio and for the next 20 years, Bill Hewitt was the TV voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
In 1981, a health issue forced Hewitt out of the broadcast booth. He retired to his farm, and died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. He is buried in Stone Church Cemetery, just east of Beaverton, Ontario
Beaverton, Ontario
Beaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.Originally part of Thorah Township in Ontario County, Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River...
.
The Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
announced that Hewitt would be posthumously awarded the 2007 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award.
TV Video
- Voice heard during a brawl in 1959
- Voice heard during game 3 of the 1967 Stanley Cup finals
- Voice heard during the last moments of the 1967 Stanley Cup finals