from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

There is talk of a dynasty.

Makes you think of the how it might be so, how all of these things, family DNA and work ethic and perseverance in the face of life-altering challenges, all combine to produce something that will likely never be seen again anywhere in sport.

The son of the winningest coach in the game who also presided over one of the greatest dynasties of all time in Montreal, now stands as one of the top general managers in hockey, the architect of a team on the verge of dynasty.

Stan Bowman was named, naturally, for the Stanley Cup, arriving in in this world shortly after his father guided the Canadiens to a championship in 1973.

For a time, he thought his name was Stanley Cup.

He was still a child when his father left the blue, blanc et rouge for a job with the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo became the base camp for the Bowmans, even as Scotty moved on to jobs with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and now Blackhawks.

There, Stan skated on the backyard rink his dad presided over and listened to his father talk hockey with his assistant coaches or scouts or other members of the Sabres organization.

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