Bill Watters, former Maple Leafs assistant GM and broadcaster, dies at 83

Bill Watters, a former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager and longtime sports media figure, has died at the age of 83.

TSN reported that Watters passed away on Sunday. Markerzone.com reported that Steve Simmons said Watters died this morning at 83.

Watters was a longtime contributor at TSN, Sportsnet and The Fan. He also worked as a player agent and served as an assistant general manager with the Toronto Maple Leafs for more than a decade.

TSN’s Darren Dreger wrote on X remembering Watters: “Wilbur was often the life of the party… on and off the air. Knowledgeable, connected and bombastic in the best way possible. Working with Bill was, as Jeff [Marek] describes, an education and a pleasure. Rest, Willy.”

Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun called Watters “one of a kind” in a message shared on social media.

Joe Bowen, the longtime Leafs play-by-play voice, posted a tribute to Watters, calling him one of his dearest friends. Bowen wrote: “He taught me so much about the business of hockey.”

Markerzone.com reported that Watters was born on June 29, 1943. Before joining the Maple Leafs front office, he worked as a player agent and as a scout in the NHL. He served as the Maple Leafs’ assistant general manager from 1991 to 2003.

On the media side, Watters was part of the Prime Time Sports crew when it started in 1989, and he later co-hosted Hockey Central. He also hosted The Bill Watters Show on AM 640 in Toronto.

Watters was a star fullback and linebacker for the Toronto Varsity Blues football team and was selected by the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL Draft, but did not pursue professional football. Instead, he became a teacher before his career working in sports.

Watters was elected into the University of Toronto’s Hall of Fame in 1997.

Markerzone.com noted that its article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.

Sources

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