Stan Bowman resigns as US Olympic men’s hockey GM in wake of Blackhawks sexual assault investigation
Hours after he resigned as general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, Stan Bowman has stepped down as GM of the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team.
USA Hockey made its official announcement Tuesday evening.
Bowman, in March, had been named the general manager of the U.S. team that will compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“In light of what’s happened today, I think it’s in the best interests of USA Hockey for me to step aside,” said Bowman in a news release. “I’m grateful to have been selected and wish our team the very best in Beijing.”
His resignation from the Olympic team comes after an internal investigation by the Blackhawks determined Bowman was one of several team leaders who failed to respond promptly to allegations that an assistant coach sexually assaulted a player in 2010.
Bowman had presided over a Chicago franchise that has won three Stanley Cup championships under his tenure, including in 2010. The Blackhawks also won the Stanley Cup in 2013 and '15.
Bowman, the son of legendary NHL coach Scotty Bowman, has served as a member of an advisory group for USA Hockey since 2012, helping select players and staff for U.S. men’s national teams.
Among his first moves after being named GM of the 2022 Olympic team was selecting Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane and defenseman Seth Jones, along with Toronto center Auston Matthews, as the team's first players.
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is the assistant GM of the U.S. team, but TSN on Friday reported that the U.S. Center for SafeSport was opening an investigation of Guerin for allegedly mishandling a separate, unrelated sexual assault when he was assistant GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Final rosters for the 2022 team will be unveiled in January. The U.S. has not won Olympic gold in men's ice hockey since 1980.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stan Bowman: Ex-Blackhawks GM resigns from US Olympic hockey team
