From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 28 looks at the architect of the Blackhawks, General Manager Stan Bowman.
Stan Bowman was born on June 28th, 1973, in Montreal, Quebec. His father is Scotty Bowman, a Hockey Hall of Famer and current employee of his son. Scotty named his son Stan in honor of hockey's greatest prize, the Stanley Cup. Stan joined the Blackhawks organization in 2001 as a special assistant to the general manager, a position he held for four years. The following two years saw Bowman take the role of Director of Hockey Operations before a promotion to Assistant General Manager, hockey operations. Finally, he took the top job on July 14th, 2009, replacing Dale Tallon, who later went to the Florida Panthers. Bowman was able to bring in Marian Hossa as his first big acquisition. The shining moment in Bowman's career came in December 2009, when he signed captain and star center Jonathan Toews, winger and superstar forward Patrick Kane, and all-star defenseman Duncan Keith to long-term contracts, enabling him to keep the Blackhawks core together for many years. Later in the season, Bowman was at the helm of the 2010 Stanley Cup champions, although it was a team largely constructed by his predecessor, Tallon. The offseason proved rough for the Blackhawks, as approximately half of their roster was traded or went unsigned by the Blackhawks to shed salary. Bowman is also responsible for helping to draft Marcus Kruger, Brandon Saad, and Andrew Shaw, who all played roles in helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup again in 2013. Additionally, Bowman was able to bring in Michael Frolik from the Florida Panthers and shed the Brian Campbell contract to the Panthers in separate deals. Bowman again was put in a tough position regarding player personnel in 2013 after another championship, and this saw Dave Bolland go to Toronto as well as Frolik continue his journey to the Winnipeg Jets, while re-signing Bryan Bickell to a reasonable contract for his studly playoff efforts. As is often the case in investments, it will take time to see which of these recent moves ends up well and which may look sour in the rear-view mirror, but Blackhawks fans can have the comfort of knowing their general manager is competent at putting together a competitive team and can build a champion.
With that, From Cradle to Cup is over. I will be taking a month off to adjust to changes in life, but I will return in time for the Kontinental Hockey League season, beginning on September 4th. Thank you all very much for your support and I will see you in September.
Stan Bowman was born on June 28th, 1973, in Montreal, Quebec. His father is Scotty Bowman, a Hockey Hall of Famer and current employee of his son. Scotty named his son Stan in honor of hockey's greatest prize, the Stanley Cup. Stan joined the Blackhawks organization in 2001 as a special assistant to the general manager, a position he held for four years. The following two years saw Bowman take the role of Director of Hockey Operations before a promotion to Assistant General Manager, hockey operations. Finally, he took the top job on July 14th, 2009, replacing Dale Tallon, who later went to the Florida Panthers. Bowman was able to bring in Marian Hossa as his first big acquisition. The shining moment in Bowman's career came in December 2009, when he signed captain and star center Jonathan Toews, winger and superstar forward Patrick Kane, and all-star defenseman Duncan Keith to long-term contracts, enabling him to keep the Blackhawks core together for many years. Later in the season, Bowman was at the helm of the 2010 Stanley Cup champions, although it was a team largely constructed by his predecessor, Tallon. The offseason proved rough for the Blackhawks, as approximately half of their roster was traded or went unsigned by the Blackhawks to shed salary. Bowman is also responsible for helping to draft Marcus Kruger, Brandon Saad, and Andrew Shaw, who all played roles in helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup again in 2013. Additionally, Bowman was able to bring in Michael Frolik from the Florida Panthers and shed the Brian Campbell contract to the Panthers in separate deals. Bowman again was put in a tough position regarding player personnel in 2013 after another championship, and this saw Dave Bolland go to Toronto as well as Frolik continue his journey to the Winnipeg Jets, while re-signing Bryan Bickell to a reasonable contract for his studly playoff efforts. As is often the case in investments, it will take time to see which of these recent moves ends up well and which may look sour in the rear-view mirror, but Blackhawks fans can have the comfort of knowing their general manager is competent at putting together a competitive team and can build a champion.
With that, From Cradle to Cup is over. I will be taking a month off to adjust to changes in life, but I will return in time for the Kontinental Hockey League season, beginning on September 4th. Thank you all very much for your support and I will see you in September.
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