Let’s step a back from the ice for one week and take this series upstairs to the front office, shall we?
Spend some time among certain factions of the Chicago Blackhawks fan base and there’s a debate raging about who was the “true” architect of the team’s current run. There are those adamant that current GM Stan Bowman is responsible for the team’s Cup success, while there remains a steadfast group which attributes this honor to former GM Dale Tallon.
That specific debate is largely irrelevant for this Blackhawks history lesson, though, because the GM who preceded those two was responsible for acquiring three players in the early-2000s who remain active — and vital — members of the Blackhawks roster.