Blackhawks Name Stan Bowman General Manager
Dale Tallon Reassigned to Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations
First there was the signing of Marian Hossa to an incredible 12-year contract. That deal effectively ended Martin Havlat’s career as a Blackhawk, and led to the winger posting teasers on his Twitter account about the truth coming out in Chicago. Then broke word of the qualifying offer mishap.
The club would become top story once again on the morning of July 14 when the media learned that Dale Tallon had been ousted as the Blackhawk’s General Manager, a post he had held since 2005. Originally reported that Tallon had been fired, it was later revealed that the former NHL defenseman would be reassigned to the position of Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations.
His replacement: Stan Bowman, son of Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman. Just 36 years old, the younger Bowman’s promotion made him the youngest NHL GM currently among the 30 teams. He wouldn’t be the most fresh-faced manager in league history, though; that honor belongs to current Predators General Manager David Poile, who at 33 in 1982 was brought in to lead the Washington Capitals.
It seems fitting that Bowman would take over the resurgent team, as his age meshes perfectly with Chicago’s youth movement. At the start of the 2008-09 season, the Blackhawks iced the youngest roster in the NHL (25.65 average); by the end of the campaign, that honor belonged to the Los Angeles Kings (26.12). On July 14, 2009, the average age of Bowman’s squad was 25.74 years old.
Stan Bowman’s Bio
Given his pedigree, few are likely surprised that Stan followed his father into hockey. What some might find surprising is that, given his young age, Bowman will be entering his ninth season with the Blackhawks when the 2009-10 campaign gets underway.
He first arrived in Chicago in 2001 as Special Assistant to the General Manager and would stay in that position for four years before earning the title of Director, Hockey Operations. In 2007, Bowman was named Assistant General Manager, Hockey Operations, the role held before his promotion to General Manager.
Bowman may be donning the GM’s hat for the first time in his hockey management career but based on his recent responsibilities, it would appear the Blackhawks had been grooming him for the eventual role. While working as Assistant GM, Bowman was in charge of all that was related to the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), including the negotiation of contracts, salary arbitration and free agency, among other duties.
Stan Bowman’s Success Beyond Hockey
Success runs in the Bowman genes, and it’s not just in the hockey world that Stan has risen to the top. At 33 years old in February 2007, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He went into remission after undergoing treatment, but unfortunately it wouldn’t last; just 10 months later, the cancer returned.
This time, the treatment would come in the form of a stem-cell transplant. Family friend Wayne Gretzky was instrumental in the matter, putting Bowman in contact with the doctor who would recommend the painful procedure (blood is removed from the bone marrow, the cells are separated, blood is replenished). Over a year later, Stan is in remission.
He may be the son of a hockey legend and Hall of Famer, but it would seem that in nearly a decade in Chicago, Stan Bowman is earning his merits on his own. The Blackhawks and their fans are now hoping his triumphs in life and in the front office continue while he holds the reins.
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