Bill Hewitt Legendary hockey broadcaster and son of Foster

Holding the Puck at Old Stone Church: Remembering Bill Hewitt

On a recent walk through Old Stone Church Cemetery in Beaverton, Ontario, puck in hand, I found myself standing at the grave of one of hockey broadcasting’s most iconic voices — Bill Hewitt.

Bill was born into hockey royalty as the son of Foster Hewitt, Canada’s legendary broadcaster. Like his father, he attended Upper Canada College in Toronto, following a path steeped in hockey tradition.

Bill honed his broadcasting skills in smaller Ontario towns like Kenora, Owen Sound, and Barrie, before joining his father on Hockey Night in Canada in 1958. Together, they became the beloved voice of Toronto Maple Leaf games, with Bill calling the play-by-play and Foster serving as color commentator. Bill even carried on his father’s famous call, “He shoots… he scores!”—a phrase immortalized on the back of his own gravestone, visible in the photo I took.

Bill Hewitt died in Port Perry on Christmas Day, December 25, 1996. He was 68.

1928-1996