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Report: Blackhawks re-assign Tallon - 7-14-09

Some stunning news out of Chicago early this morning as the Blackhawks have allegedly fired general manager Dale Tallon. According to Comcast SportsNet, he has been replaced by Stan Bowman, the team's senior advisor for hockey operations.

This move comes in the wake of Tallon sending qualifying offers to the team's restricted free agents after the deadline set by the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. All eight players who received offers, all re-signed with the club.

Tallon, a former Penguins defenseman, has held the general manager's position since 2005. He has been with the Club in some executive capacity since 1998. Previous to that, he had been a defenseman with Chicago for five season in the 1970s.

Under Tallon, the team has turned from one of the worst in the league to a Staney Cup contender.

Bowman is the son of former Penguins coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman.

EN Says: Uh. Wow. Really. Wow.

We know what Tallon did with the restricted free agent offers was embarrassing but was did it merit a firing?

There have always been whispers that Tallon wasn't a favorite of team president John McDonough. But if a personal preference came into play with this decision, why wait until after the draft and after free agency started to make the move?

Things in Chicago may have taken a turn for the better when owner Bill Wirtz passed away two seasons ago, but they might not have been totally corrected. The Blackhawks have a nice young core of players and they're on the verge of really screwing up something special with some highly questionable moves the past few seasons such as the signings of Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, Cristobal Huet and this latest development.

Update: Tallon was officially re-assigned within the organization.

(Photo: David Banks/Getty Images)

Posted Jul 14 2009, 02:25 AM by Seth Rorabaugh

Comments

Disgruntled Goat wrote re: Report: Blackhawks fire Tallon - 7-14-09

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 11:23 AM

That qualifying offer snafu was more than just embarrassing, it probably cost the Hawks 2 million per year in cap space.

BurghBuckeye wrote re: Report: Blackhawks fire Tallon - 7-14-09

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 11:30 AM

It doesn't warrant a firing though. The guy put together a team that, if they don't ruin it, will be one of the best in the league for quite a few seasons. When I heard about this this morning, I was shocked.

Disgruntled Goat wrote re: Report: Blackhawks fire Tallon - 7-14-09

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 12:52 PM

If your boss is looking to replace you, don't give him any excuses. Did he deserve to be fired? Maybe not, but deserve's got nothing to do with it.

Yinzerologist wrote re: Report: Blackhawks fire Tallon - 7-14-09

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 12:54 PM

I have no idea what happened behind the scenes in Chicago but I can tell you with absolute certainty that Tallon has mortgaged the Hawks' future in a reckless attempt to win the 2010 Stanley Cup and that is just plain moronic.

Take a look at the numbers and decide for yourself. Also, remember that this was written by a Blackhawks fan who is assuming that Toews, Keith, and Kane will each take well under market value (a huge leap of faith, IMHO).

cyclelikesedins.blogspot.com/.../losing-one-or-more-of-kane-toews-keith.html

It is clear from reading that article and others that Tallon's signing of guys like Campbell, Hossa, Huet, etc., - all to long term, big money deals - pretty much guarantees that the Hawks will be unable to keep at least one of Toews, Kane, and Keith - and quite possibly two of the three.

We all know that the cap is going to go down in 2010 and likely in 2011 as well and some are forecasting a significant dip (perhaps by as much as $9 million). Understanding the cap crunch that is headed our way, why would anyone sign so many vets to such long term, big money deals? It's a stufefyingly display of idiocy and why is is rightfully out of a job this afternoon. Hell, even yesterday he was signing people as if the cap didn't exist at all.

Unreal.

This whole situation also demonstrates just how competent Ray Shero has been (just about everyone has been signed to one year pacts) and how radically different Pittsburgh's approach has been to building and managing a Stanley Cup caliber organization than was Chicago's.

It is literally like night and day.

If you'e like me you have to be asking yourself what kind of moron authorizes that strategy in this economy with the iceberg coming that we all can see? Probably the same moron who sends out his teams RFA offer sheets too late and nearly loses two of his top young players because of it.

Stan Bowman new Blackhawks GM; Tallon…. Report: Blackhawks re-assign Tallon – 7-14-09…. | Total Info wrote Stan Bowman new Blackhawks GM; Tallon…. Report: Blackhawks re-assign Tallon – 7-14-09…. | Total Info

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 4:42 PM

Pingback from Stan Bowman new Blackhawks GM; Tallon…. Report: Blackhawks re-assign Tallon – 7-14-09…. | Total Info

Kevjac66 wrote re: Report: Blackhawks re-assign Tallon - 7-14-09

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 6:04 PM

I don't think the Hossa signing was that bad, considering how good a player he is. He's got the smallest cap hit of those big three contracts. It's the Campbell and Huet ones that will really hurt the team.

on Tue, Jul 14 2009 6:41 PM