When Stan Bowman assumed the position of Chicago Blackhawks GM in July 2009, it came at a time when the Hawks brass were looking for any excuse at all to jettison then incumbent Dale Tallon. The first day of free agency contract mailing snafus served as the perfect “reason.”
Stan’s been John McDonough and Rocky Wirtz’s “boy” ever since they took over in 2008. Dale Tallon (who actually built the Stanley Cup winning team) was specifically kicked to the curb so Stan would have the job handed to him. Might have a little something to do with the Hawks hiring of Stan’s dad, Scotty, as a hockey consultant.
You see when your dad is the most successful hockey coach of all time, Scotty Bowman, your ticket up the ladder has been punched. It’s easy to become the youngest GM in NHL history when you grow up with connections like that.
After the Cup win, Stan had his hands tied. Tallon built the championship team, but he also left Bowman with a salary cap time bomb. And it exploded like an h-bomb as Bowman had to shed salary in a hurry. In his first season, Bowman was hamstrung and had very little to work with.
Bowman had a year left on his deal, but he was given a three-year contract extension that will keep him in the Windy City until the end of the 2015-16 season. I’m still not sold. But then again he’s really only had this past summer to work with, so why should I be? In actuality, he’s only had one offseason to work with, so it’s too early to accurately judge him.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
He’s appeared on live radio shows all across the world from Houston to New Zealand. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.