In the 107-year history of the National Hockey League, exactly one man has won the Stanley Cup as the General Manager of two different teams. Jim Rutherford is that person, first winning the Cup while running the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005-06, then adding two more titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins a decade later.
Nobody else from Frank Selke to Glen Sather or from Lester Patrick to Craig Patrick has ever reached the pinnacle in two different cities. But that hasn’t stopped the Edmonton Oilers from try-try-trying again:
- In 2015 they brought on Peter Chiarelli, freshly fired by Boston Bruins four years after the B’s lifted the Cup in 2011. Chiarelli tried to jump-start the build with some power moves to accelerate the process, but his biggest bets didn’t cash. Oilers made the playoffs just once before he was fired deep into his fourth season at the helm.
- The next full-time GM was Ken Holland, a three-time champ as GM in Detroit who was 11 years removed from his last title when he left the Motor City in 2019. He came oh-so-close to another in Edmonton, making the playoffs in all five of his seasons here and falling just one game short of the Cup in the season just past.
- The latest hire is Stan Bowman, whose success came in another Original Six city, Chicago. Like Holland, he’s a three-time champion. His Unlike Holland, or Chiarelli for that matter, his transition from his old job to his new one was far from immediate. Bowman resigned from the Blackhawks under a cloud nearly three years ago.
He re-emerged into the public eye on Wednesday, mere days after his 33-month suspension by the NHL was formally brought to a close by commissioner Gary Bettman early this month. Bowman’s failing was his “inadequate response” to sexual assault allegations raised by Kyle Beach against Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich way back in 2010. The issue was swept under the rug at the time and only came to light over eleven years later when Beach went public after learning Aldrich had reoffended in another location, this time involving a minor which resulted in criminal charges. Only then was a proper investigation of the initial incident conducted, covered in detail last week by colleague David Staples. It’s a sordid, sorry story.
The Oilers nonetheless saw Bowman as the best candidate available to move into the corner office recently vacated by Holland. The inevitable outcome was that Wednesday’s breaking news and introductory press conference was dominated by questions and commentary about the scandal with precious little focus on the actual hockey team Bowman was about to inherit.
As if the job itself isn’t tough enough, Stan Bowman arrives in Edmonton needing to prove himself in two distinctly different ways.
Off the ice
Might as well start here since it has dominated the conversation to this point. Bowman himself addressed the issue head on at the presser on Wednesday, highlighted in an exchange with Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 who stated: “I read Sheldon (Kennedy)’s release and I think we all know that sexual abuse is a real big issue in society. What did you learn in your conversations with Sheldon about the destructive power of silence, not only for Kyle but for not saying anything about Aldrich and his future victims in Miami and then the Houghton High School?”
Bowman replied: “The biggest thing I learned from Sheldon is the negative power of silence and not taking a bigger role. You don’t want to assume other people are doing things, you want to take an active role and make sure that things happen that are supposed to happen… Sheldon said that there’s a bystander effect and you want to make sure that you do what you can to play a part and play an active role in those types of situations.”
Gregor followed up: “In your position now as a GM of an NHL team and a very passionate fan base, are you going to be able to use your position to to further the cause to change it and if so how?”
Bowman: “I want to. There is ability to make change, to learn from situations and to grow from them… Certainly what happened to Sheldon and to Kyle is terrible. Fortunately that’s not as common as other things that happen on teams. Harrassment, hazing, bullying, those are probably more common. We want to get rid of all of it… I want to give my time, I want to be devoted to that stuff.”`
Sheldon Kennedy, a survivor of sexual abuse and the co-founder of the Respect Group, was in the room in a show of support to Bowman, though somewhat disappointingly was not a participant at any point. Kennedy had already issued a detailed letter of support on Bowman’s behalf. In a later interview on Gregor’s show he said “Stan needs to show people. He needs to walk the walk.”
Bowman committed to as much when asked directly about the broadly negative reaction the news of his hiring had triggered on social media. “I respect people’s opinion. One thing I’ve learned over time is it’s difficult to talk people into things. It’s going to be my job to try to win them over. The goal is to try to do it through your actions rather than what you’re saying. I want to try to earn their respect over time; it may not come right away, and that’s OK. I’m going to stick with it, I’m here to make a difference, not only to make this team better on the ice but to bring change and a positive environment around the whole team.”
Which seems a long way from where Oil Country is at this moment. It goes to the very nature of the issue: a triggering one for many who have suffered abuse and/or are close to others who have; and a troubling one for many more. For some, it’s a deal-breaker that puts their very fandom of the team in question. For (too) many in other markets, an opportunity to heap scorn and abuse on Good Old Ourtown. As if we needed more of that.
Stan Bowman brought this baggage with him to Edmonton. This would be a good place for him to walk the walk, to take a leadership role as a public advocate for sexual assault survivors and against such deplorable conduct as hazing and the type of homophobic bullying that Beach reportedly endured from (some) teammates in Chicago. Bowman saying it won’t happen again on his watch is a start, but not nearly enough.
Similarly, the organization that just hired him would do well to get out in front of the issue in a public way, perhaps to partner up with organizations like the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) and lend some portion of their community foundation’s considerable fundraising chops to that end. Proceeds from a 50/50 or two would be a good place to start.
Only through such visible actions and advocacy can both the club and its new GM hope to turn the public outcry around and pointed in a better direction.
On the ice
In one important respect, Bowman lands in a similar spot in Edmonton as he did fifteen years ago in Chicago. The Blackhawks of the day were clearly on the rise with the core of a champion already in place. The 2008-09 squad that lost to defending champion Detroit in the conference final included Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd and Dave Bolland up front, an emerging Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson on the back end, and gigantic Dustin Byfuglien able to play anywhere. As a parting gift, outgoing GM Dale Tallon had signed the final major piece, two-way forward Marian Hossa, in free agency just weeks before the change of command. Collectively a much younger group than the current corps of Oilers, and significantly cheaper as a result; heck, Kane and Toews were both still on their entry-level contracts entering that 2009-10 season.
Bowman filled in around the edges but mostly left well enough alone as they cruised to their first Cup. Things got sticky after that with his two young stars both in line for major raises as well as Keith. While Bowman did well in signing that core trio for just over $18 million per season, the combined increases necessitated a sell-off of some other assets for dimes on the dollar. Ladd and Byfuglien left town in separate, cap-driven deals, while netminder Antti Niemi was also lost in what amounted to a double-offer-sheet scenario. Those losses set the Blackhawks back for a year or two, but some crafty trade deadline additions like Johnny Oduya and Michal Handzus provided some important support players as Chicago won a second Stanley in 2013, then a third two years later.
After that, Kane and Toews again came due simultaneously. The truly big money came their way and the downhill slide began.
In all Bowman spent a dozen full seasons in Chicago. The club was wildly successful in the first half of that time, winning 14 playoff series and those three Stanley Cups in his first six years; but gradually fell out of contention in the second half, failing to win a single best-of-seven playoff series in the entire span. (Oil fans will recall the Hawks did win a best-of-five play-in series in the bubble in August of 2020, mind. But that squad had finished the COVID-abbreviated season in 23rd place and was no longer a serious competitor.)
The whole of Bowman’s transaction record — drafting, trading, signing of North American and European free agents — is way too lengthy to examine here. Perhaps a subject for a future post. In broad brush strokes, he did a decent job of hanging on to the right core players and filling out the depth spots of his roster before the whole thing came crashing down under the weight of its own payroll. Not dissimilar to Chiarelli in Boston or Holland in Detroit, come to that. Success breeds expense, and in the salary cap era is a self-limiting factor for powerhouse teams.
In Edmonton Bowman again adopts a roster on the cusp. The Oilers are much closer than they were when either of the previous two veteran GMs took command. They’re significantly older, as well; the clock is ticking, and this is no time for big mistakes.
Again, a major portion of the job description is to hang on to the right core players. The Leon Draisaitl negotiations loom as his first major test, with Evan Bouchard also on the horizon. Beyond that, Connor McDavid. Just the three most important players on the team… just as had been the case with first Keith, then Kane and Toews in 2009-10. Different situations, but relevant experience at least.
And already, a cap crunch, this one not of his own making. Bowman will need to tinker with his existing roster, currently over budget, to make it cap-compliant in the coming season. Again, he has experience in this area, though not necessarily successful experience.
Takeaways
Once again the Oilers have brought on a GM with championship pedigree, though this one also brings an unfortunate history. Under these circumstances it’s frankly startling to see Bowman land directly back in a GM’s chair rather than a supporting role like, say, senior advisor to the CEO or some such.
Daryl Katz, Jeff Jackson and the Oilers are seemingly comfortable with the hire, even as many observers, this one included, ponder whether he would have been the best choice for the job even without the baggage. It’s a startling step for an organization that hadn’t put a foot out of place since the season ended.
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