The Florida Panthers like what they see in the Chicago Blackhawks and think Dale Tallon can do the same for them.
The team has hired Tallon to be their next general manager and will make the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday.
“It is with great pleasure and excitement that I join the Florida Panthers,” said Tallon. "I look forward to getting to work and will immediately evaluate our club's framework, as we diligently prepare for the upcoming draft and free agency signing period.”
Tallon was hired as the Blackhawks general manager in 2005 and led the team out of years of losing and a dwindling fan base.
He drafted Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the faces of an organization on the upswing. He acquired Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg, two players that are integral parts in the Hawks current playoff run.
"Dale brings with him a proven track record and an impressive franchise-building resume that we believe is the perfect fit for the future of the Panthers organization," said Panthers managing partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel. "We thank Randy Sexton for his service to our organization and appreciate his continued support throughout this transition process."
However, he also signed free agents Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet to lucrative deals that have not panned out as yet.
And last summer, the Hawks waited too long to mail out qualifying offers to a number of their restricted free agents and the NHL Players' Association filed a grievance. The incident forced the team to overpay for those players and caused salary cap issues for the organization.
Subsequently, Tallon was reassigned and named a senior advisor of hockey operations for the Blackhawks.
