A Christmas Wish Come True?

On Wednesday, I wrote a post over at PensionPlanPuppets for their excellent and timely Airing of Grievances series. There are a lot of things in the NHL worth criticizing right now, and there were a lot of great contributions. For mine, I chose to lament about the absence of Bob Cole's voice on Maple Leafs' broadcasts this season, and made a special Christmas wish to have Bob Cole announcing the Leafs' next game against Montreal on Boxing Day. In case you missed it, it went something like this...

I'm very sad that Bob Cole (to my knowledge) hasn't called a single game for the Leafs this season on CBC. I really miss his beautiful voice describing the action as only he can, with the emphasis and intensity measured at the right levels, in all the right places. The last few seasons he may have seemed dull and dim, but I think that's probably a result, and a reflection, of the hockey he's had to witness. Bob Cole always had an acute awareness of the stakes involved, a natural instinct for the game, for relevance, for history. He recognized drama on the ice as it unfolded and translated it effortlessly. His voice would rise in perfect synchronization with the noise of the crowd. He understood the importance of every goal, of every save, of every win or loss, and he never over-sold his passion or faked or forced enthusiasm. If he said "OH, Baby!", he meant it, and you better not have missed it, 'cause it must have been something special.

If I could have one hockey related Christmas Wish this holiday season, it would only be for Bob Cole to call the Leafs' next Saturday game on CBC, the Boxing-Day telecast against the Montreal Canadians. Please CBC, please make this happen. Please grant this one Christmas wish and give that annoyingly plastic Hughson a holiday vacation, and give Maple Leafs fans a real treat for that Boxing-Day match-up. BOB COLE'S VOICE. Seriously. Please bring back Bob Cole to Maple Leafs broadcasts.

P.S. You know I hate your guts Scott Moore, but this is your chance to redeem yourself.

Most of the feedback in the comments was positive and supportive and a couple even suggested that they had seen or heard that Cole was scheduled to do the play-by-play for Saturday. There were no sources to back up their claims, though, so I felt teased.

Could it be true? Could Bob Cole really be coming back on Boxing Day to grant a Leaf fan's Christmas wish? Ever since I read those comments, it's been on my mind, so I've been searching the web and the news feeds for 2 straight days trying to find any mention of Bob Cole working the game on Boxing Day. I even phoned the CBC directly and got pretty far, through a gauntlet of 5 transfers, until finally I was told that the only people who knew the answer were on vacation until January.

Well, I have an announcement to make - I may have found something. Only a few minutes before I began writing this post I finally tracked down what may be confirmation that, indeed, Bob Cole will be announcing the hockey game for Saturday night's Boxing Day match-up between the Leafs and the Canadiens.

I am happy to report that Bob Cole will return to Toronto for the ONLY time this season on December 26th for the Leafs vs Habs game. I heard this about 15 minutes ago on "After the Horn- Leaf Talk" with Andy Frost.
http://communities.sportsnet.ca/message/134300#134300

Andy Frost just said that CBC is bringing Bob Cole back for the next Leafs-Habs game on Boxing Day!
http://tmlfans.ca/community/index.php?action=printpage;topic=64937.0

Andy Frost on Leaf Talk said he got word that Bob Cole will be calling the Leafs vs. Habs on boxing day.
http://hockeyleaks.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5729.0

BOB COLE will call the Leafs Habs game on Boxing Day!! AWESOMMEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2009/12/1/1181697/maple-leafs-3-v-canadiens-0

Hmmm. Not sure why that last one doesn't seem familiar at all. Anyhow, I'm gonna call this confirmation. I have 3 separate people saying they heard Andy Frost say it, and The Meatriarchy declaring it randomly out of the blue, or maybe he heard it from Andy Frost as well. Who knows. Point is - BOB COLE. And more importantly, BOB COLE"S VOICE will be re-untied with Leafs Nation for the first, and possibly only time, this season.

Rejoice. Celebrate. A Christmas wish has come true.

Have a safe and happy holiday season everybody. Merry Christmas. See you, and hopefully Bob Cole, on Boxing Day!