Blackhawks sign GM Stan Bowman to two-year contract extension

The Blackhawks locked up one last piece of their championship core on Wednesday — general manager Stan Bowman.

Bowman, who has won two Stanley Cups in his four years at the helm, received a two-year contract extension, meaning he’s now signed through the 2017-18 season.

“Stan has been an integral part of our organizational success and we are proud to reward him with a well-deserved extension,” said Blackhawks president John McDonough. “From the amateur levels to our team in Chicago, Stan has a great system in place as we all strive for consistent excellence throughout the organization.”

Bowman, at 40 the youngest GM in the NHL, essentially inherited the 2010 Stanley Cup team from his predecessor, Dale Tallon, when he took over on July 14, 2009. But over the next few years, after having to dismantle much of the team for salary reasons, Bowman rebuilt the Hawks through savvy trades (Viktor Stalberg, Michael Frolik, Johnny Oduya, Michal Handzus) and drafting (Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw). This past spring, they became the first team to win two Cups in the salary cap era, and Bowman has managed to keep the core of the team signed to long-term deals.

Bowman, son of legendary coach and Hawks special advisor Scotty Bowman, was special assistant to the GM for four years, then director of hockey operations for two years, then assistant general manager from 2007-09 before taking over for Tallon.

The Montreal native is a 1995 graduate of Notre Dame, where the Hawks open training camp later this afternoon.