With one year left on his contract, NHL Panthers GM Dale Tallon and the team decided yesterday that the team "was indeed a place he should be for the foreseeable future, inking a multi-year extension with the club," according to Glenn Odebralski of NHL.com. Tallon has been "at the helm of the franchise for two seasons and has overseen a drastic turnaround in all aspects of the club" (NHL.com, 6/6). Tallon said, "I want to be here forever. I’m still a young man. I’m fit, willing and able. I like it here, I like Florida, I like (Owner) Cliff Viner, and I like working with this organization. ... I'm proud as hell to be a Florida Panther." In Miami, George Richards notes while terms of the new deal were not announced, "it is believed Tallon signed another three-year pact with the team." The Panthers "were a franchise in flux" when Tallon was signed in May '10 to take over for former GM Randy Sexton. Tallon has "brought some stability to the Florida front office as he became the eighth general manager since 2000." Prior to his time with the Panthers, Tallon served as the Blackhawks' GM from '05 until being demoted in '09 "after a number of restricted free agent contracts weren't submitted to the league in time." But Richards notes "many felt Tallon was a scapegoat" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/7). NHL.com's Alain Poupart noted Tallon is "scheduled to try to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, an event he played in two years ago." He said of his golfing, "It's a hobby for me now. I'll see what happens. If I'm able to do it, I'll try. If not, I'll go on and focus on the draft. It's the lowest priority for me" (NHL.com, 6/6).
