After nearly three years away from the sport altogether, GM Stan Bowman is back in hockey.
As rumors suggested for much of this year, Bowman accepted a job Wednesday to become the next general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. He succeeds Hall of Fame decision-maker Ken Holland, who parted ways with the Oilers after they lost in the Stanley Cup Final last month.
Bowman was named the Blackhawks’ GM in the summer of 2009 once Dale Tallon had laid the foundation for the team’s dynasty. He was able to hold most of the pieces together after 2010 until Chicago was able to win two more championships, although he hadn’t drafted or acquired those teams’ core. After failing to take action amid the Kyle Beach sexual assault scandal during his tenure, Bowman resigned from his position on October 26, 2021.
The league reinstated Bowman, head coach Joel Quenneville and executive Al MacIsaac at the beginning of this month. The NHL released a statement at the time that said each of the three individuals has “used his time away from the game to engage in activities which not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership.” Commissioner Gary Bettman allowed the three to return to the league, provided they continue to participate in programs that focus on responsiveness to abuse. The Oilers apparently believed that training was beneficial when filling the open position.
“I believe his vast experience and proven success in this role, together with the important work he has done in his time away from the game, fits our goal of being best in class when it comes to all facets of our organization. Through our many conversations, we share a common vision of where we are as a team and what is required to achieve another Stanley Cup title.”
– Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson
Bowman was certainly known near the end of his time in Chicago as a GM who made more than a few puzzling deals. From questionable trades to massive contracts like that of Seth Jones, he left a mess for Kyle Davidson to clean up, so his upcoming time in Edmonton will be worth keeping an eye on. The team is in a tricky spot currently over the salary cap limit with only 21 players on the active roster, and stars like Leon Draisitl and Evan Bouchard are entering the final year of their deals. Will he be able to hold this contender together long enough to yield a Stanley Cup, or will things fall apart once again?
