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Drafted No. 2 overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 1970, Tallon wasn’t ousted for his inability to scout and acquire talent or lack of knowledge of the game. The former defenseman did have a reputation, however, for not being particularly fond of administrative chores in the NHL’s salary cap era, which started in 2005-05.
When Hossa was signed, the Blackhawks failed to tender qualifying offers to eight restricted free agents before the July 1, 2009 deadline. That created the possibility those players could become unrestricted.
Every prominent RFA on the team signed with Chicago, but not before the NHLPA filed a grievance. Tallon took responsibility for the big-time snafu and said it would not happen again. The Blackhawks ended up paying more than they otherwise would have for forward Kris Versteeg and defenseman Cam Barker.
Backed by his father, Scotty, and then Blackhawks president John McDonough, Stan Bowman was elevated to GM. Tallon became a lame-duck senior advisor with Chicago for one year, then GM of the Florida Panthers from 2010 to 2020. He’s now a senior advisor and pro scout for the Canucks.
Post-Aldrich Fallout
Bowman is the first former Blackhawks executive re-hired by an NHL team since the team’s 2010 sexual assault scandal came to light in 2021. The league reinstated Bowman, coach Joel Quenneville and Al MacIsaac, who also worked in Chicago’s front office, earlier this month.
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Bowman stepped down as Chicago’s GM on Oct. 26, 2021 after an independent investigation found the organization mishandled allegations made by prospect Kyle Beach that he was sexually abused by then-video coach Brad Aldrich. Bowman was in a May 2010 meeting led by McDonough when McDonough said he “would take care of” Beach’s complaint, and intentionally delayed doing so during the team’s championship run.
Aldrich, who later was convicted of assaulting a high school player in Houghton, Michigan, also was accused of sexual assault by a second former Blackhawks player as well as a front office intern. The civil case from the second player against the team is still in the works.
The arrogant McDonough was fired in…