Stan Bowman: History Of The Salary Cap Superman

Bowman may not have been the GM Chicago originally wanted, but he is the GM Chicago deserves. Bowman has built a team that can last a long time, and 2013 Cup is evidence. Photoshop by Joe Kremel, pic from Batman.

Bowman’s Personal Side – Cancer & Patrick Kane

Stan didn’t have the smoothest ride to the top.  Sure, he isn’t a rags to riches story, but he has had to deal with his own personal issues.  In 2007 Bowman was diagnosed with cancer, specifically Hodgkins Lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes.  After a successful battle, his cancer went into remission, but that wasn’t the end of that fight.  The disease would rear its ugly head again, but Stan battled back with a more aggressive treatment.  Bowman has been cancer free since then.

Bowman might have had a greater impact on the Hawks than most would think.  He may not have been the one that drafted Kaner, but he might be the main reason Kane is still a Hawk.  With all of the issues Kane brought on himself, it was understandable why the hockey community questioned Kane’s dedication to the team.  I believe the organization’s patience with him came from Kane’s rookie year.  His rookie season was spent living with Bowman and his family.  Bowman would talk about the experience in an interview.

"“I remember we went to him in early October, and we asked him about the living situation,” Bowman said. “His answer to us was interesting. He said ‘I’m just trying to make the team here. I don’t even want to talk about it. I’ll live in a hotel all year if I have to. I want to play in the NHL.”"

Bowman went on to say:

"“He had been in the hotel for six weeks at that point,” Bowman recalled. “I said ‘Why don’t you come over, maybe stay at my place for a bit, have a couple of home-cooked meals?’ And so he agreed to that, and we were into the season by that point. He seemed to enjoy it. I have two little boys and he was living in the basement. He was an unassuming little kid, just trying to make the team and stay in the NHL.”"

I truly believe that if Bowman didn’t reach out to Kane that first season, things could have been very different.  We easily could have had a Tyler Seguin incident here in Chicago.  Bowman had faith in Kane, and after a sit down talk with him during the lockout summer, Patrick came back with a renewed sense of focus.