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Blackhawks hand GM Stan Bowman a three-year extension

Stan Bowman

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 in Chicago, (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Charles Rex Arbogast

Sure, his last name probably helped him get his foot in the door, but Stan Bowman faced a genuine challenge living in his father’s shadow. The Chicago Blackhawks’ GM is making a name of his own, though, as he put the finishing touches on a team that won its first Stanley Cup in decades and hopes to compete in the long-term.

(As an aside, apparently Stan doesn’t have a problem with Scotty Bowman’s presence, considering his father’s role as an adviser.)

After signing core players to mostly-solid contracts, it only seems right that Bowman received a contract extension of his own. The Blackhawks decided to do that today, as they handed the team’s architect a three-year extension that will run through the 2015-16 season.

The 2011-12 season will be Stan Bowman’s third as the GM and 11th with the organization. He inherited some great talent from previous general manager Dale Tallon, but also was forced to navigate some treacherous salary cap waters thanks to his predecessor. The Blackhawks experienced some growing pains last season because of their depth losses, but they managed to keep their core together and head into next season as genuine contenders.

Here are some of his career highlights, via the Blackhawks.

Bowman, 38, is entering his 11th season with the Blackhawks and third as the head of the team’s Hockey Operations Department. He was originally named General Manager on July 14, 2009, before being promoted to Vice President/General Manager on September 7, 2010. Currently the youngest General Manager in the NHL, Bowman helped Chicago capture the 2010 Stanley Cup during his first year as GM, ending a 49-year drought. The Blackhawks have registered a .604 regular-season winning percentage (99-51-17) during his tenure as GM and a 19-10 mark (.655) in three Stanley Cup Playoff appearances over three years.

Over the last 26 months, Bowman has locked up Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford to long-term deals and has acquired Nick Leddy, Michael Frolik, Steve Montador, Andrew Brunette and Daniel Carcillo among other moves to stabilize the club’s roster. He also re-signed Head Coach Joel Quenneville through the 2013-14 season last September. Bowman joined the Blackhawks in 2001, serving for four seasons as special assistant to the general manager before being promoted to director of hockey operations, a role he served in for two years (2005-07).